Peninsula College sources

Wednesday, Feb. 1, marks the Peninsula College Pirates’ T1D Awareness Night. The Pirates will take on the North Seattle Storm as they hit the courts for a great cause, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The women Pirates will take on the women Storm at 5 p.m. while the men’s game will follow shortly afterwards at 7 p.m.

T1D Awareness Night will grant Type 1 diabetics and their families free access to both games by simply wearing blue and showing their support of the foundation. The rest of the public is asked to wear blue in support of JDRF as well. The night will showcase local support groups, a table set up for donations to the cause and information about the upcoming “Kicking for Kids” JDRF fundraiser at Phoenix Dragon Martial Arts on April 14.

Tickets are available at the gate in the Peninsula College gym.

T1D is an autoimmune disease that can strike at any time. In T1D, a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. People with T1D need to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin (with injections or an insulin pump) multiple times every day and carefully balance insulin doses with eating and daily activities throughout the day and night. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes and these diabetics are at risk for complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness and amputation.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the leading global organization focused on Type 1 diabetes research. Driven by grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents and adults with this disease, JDRF now is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF research is to improve the lives of all people affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most opportunities for curing, better treating and preventing T1D. The foundation collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal.

For more information, visit www.JDRF.org.