Walk to Stop Diabetes Campaign to be Held at Skidaway Island State Park


The 21st Annual American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes fundraising campaign is in full swing and there a number of fun activities leading up to the main Step Out 5k Walk & Run, including a kick-off celebration and outdoor kayaking event!

Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes is the ADA’s fall signature campaign and is being chaired by City of Savannah Fire Chief, Charles G. Middleton. According to Chief Middleton, “I hope to use this opportunity as Chairman of the campaign to highlight the ubiquity and invisibility of this disease. We have strong, fit firefighters who are living with Diabetes. You can’t tell by looking at these folks that they may have a serious, chronic disease. Even heroes can suffer from diabetes. Diabetes does not discriminate based on your age, race, gender or socioeconomic situation. It affects everyone and we should all band together to fight and stop diabetes.”

The kick-off celebration is on Thursday, August 15th at Tubby’s Tank House in Thunderbolt. The event will feature a dunk tank, where attendees will have a chance to dunk some of Savannah’s Professional Firefighters! Participants can also expect light hors de’oeuvres and live entertainment. Kick-off attendees will learn how to form a walk or running team for the campaign and get tips on fundraising strategies.

Another fundraising event leading up to the 5k Walk & Run is the 6th Annual Hugh H. Armstrong Sr. Memorial, Kayak for a Kure presented by PIER Commercial, which will be held on Saturday, August 24th at Butterbean Beach.

The main event will be held on Saturday, October 19th at Skidaway Island State Park. In addition to the existing 5k Walk, the event will also feature a 5k run managed by the team at Fleet Feet Sports.

The 5k route will wind through beautiful nature trails and along the Intracoastal Waterway. The Step Out event will also feature a large Health & Fitness Festival with several free blood glucose & blood pressure screenings, fitness information and professional on-site advice on medications along with free literature on a variety of health topics. Walkers will also enjoy a light breakfast, live music, and loads of children’s activities provided by Skidaway Island State Park. All funds raised for this event benefit the mission of the American Diabetes Association.

For more information, visit www.diabetes.org/ savannahstepout or www.facebook.com/adasavannah or call Suzanne Willis, Step Out Walk Coordinator at 912- 353-8110, ext. 3093 or suwillis@diabetes.org



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.