The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) is pleased to announce it has formed a partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to help find the cause and cure of Type 1 Diabetes. On Friday, October 9, 2009, the Weyburn Red Wings hosted the Battlefords North Stars in the 1st Annual (inaugural) SJHL Hall of Fame Game. At this game, the SJHL recognized its first members inducted into the Hall of Fame: Chris Chelios, Ron Rumble, Ron Hextall, Dwight McMillan and Wayne Kartusch. After the game, a "Hot Stove" event was held in the Weyburn Curling Club. It was there that the Hall of Famers discussed their careers and stories of their time in the SJHL. The SJHL asked guests to donate a $5 cover charge for the event with all proceeds going to JDRF. In addition to the Hall of Fame Game, the SJHL is pleased to announce the month of November has been designated as "Diabetes Month" by the SJHL. During November, JDRF will be doing special events in each of the 12 Team Arenas. "The SJHL teams and fans can have a far reaching impact on seeking a cure. This is a great partnership to help youth of all ages and we are pleased to be able to focus our attention on Diabetes Month and World Diabetes Day in the month of November," said Laury Ryan, President SJHL. "Many Saskatchewan residents are unaware of how far-reaching Type 1 Diabetes really is," said John Chick, Star Player with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (a Type 1 Diabetic himself) and Honorary Ambassador/ Spokesperson for JDRF. "Not only does Diabetes directly impact over 65,000 Saskatchewan residents, it has a profound impact on their families and how they go about their daily lives. We are dedicated to finding a cure for this disease, and we certainly appreciate the tremendous support of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to help us reach our goal." Type 1 Diabetes, the most severe form of diabetes, is a non-preventable autoimmune disease. It can occur at any age but is most commonly diagnosed from infancy to the late 30s. Unlike type 2 diabetes, it cannot be prevented by diet, exercise or medication and living with the disease demands constant blood testing and regulating. A child living with type 1 diabetes requires approximately 1,463 needles a year and 2,190 finger pokes a year to test their blood sugar Ð it imposes a very structured lifestyle on a family to adequately monitor the disease, and, avoid devastating complications. "Canadians living with Type 1 Diabetes are insulin-dependent for life with the constant threat of developing complications such as blindness, end-stage kidney disease, nerve damage, (heart) attack, stroke, amputation and even death. Insulin allows a person with diabetes to stay alive, but, it does not cure the disease, nor does it prevent its eventual complications." About Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the leading charitable funder and advocate of Type 1 Diabetes research worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. JDRF funding and leadership is associated with most major scientific breakthroughs in Type 1 Diabetes research to date in Canada and around the world. It has raised more than $1.3 billion for diabetes research since its inception in 1970, including $156 million in 2008 to over 1,000 grants, centres, and fellowships in 22 countries. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.ca.
