Fighting diabetes, one cookie at a time

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Published on Thursday, December 8, 2016

Above: While some of the volunteers served hot chocolate and cookies, the rest held up signs advertising the fundraiser. Since the group is made of school aged kids and their families, the fundraiser started after school.

The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

The Pedersen family, with the help of some friends, put on their third annual diabetes fundraiser on Thursday, Nov. 17. One of the Pedersen’s daughters, Josie, has Type 1 diabetes. Out of all the people who are diagnosed with diabetes, only five to 10 per cent of them have Type 1.

“Josie and her sister, Rebecca-Lynn, enlist the help of friends for the fundraiser day,” said Christine Pedersen, Josie and Rebecca-Lynn’s mother. “We include fellow Type 1 [diabetic] Kyla Wahoski and her sisters to help. Kyla brings a couple friends to help on the day of the fundraiser as well,” Pedersen added.

Each year, the girls try to hold the event as close to Nov. 14 as possible, to coincide with World Diabetes Day.

The fundraiser took place outside of It’s Time Fashion and Gifts, with the permission of storeowner Ineke Mack. Selling a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie for $2, the group managed to raise $1,000 over the two hours they were set-up. The group covered the cost of the items from their own pockets.

In addition to regular hot chocolate, they also offered sugar free hot chocolate and a limited amount of coffee.

“Community support has always been phenomenal and this year was no exception,” Pedersen noted, “Our only goal each year is to sell out of cookies and this year we did, 26 dozen.”

The money raised from the event, as well as an additional $390, was donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.