“3 Coffeys, No Sugar.” People often have an “aha!” moment when they understand the play on words in our team name. Three Coffey kids. All have type 1 diabetes. The hope, the dream, the motive behind our ceaseless fundraising is for our three Coffeys to have normal blood sugar levels. In other words, “no sugar.”
Brian gets credit for our latest family project: coffee beans! With startup funds provided by an anonymous donor, we worked with Leaves-N-Beans Roasting Company in Peoria Heights, to select a blend of hand-roasted coffee which pairs with our family’s story. The coffee is available online, at Leaves-N-Beans, or directly from us. Proceeds from every sale go to JDRF.
To officially launch the coffee, we hosted a “release party” at the Leaves-N-Beans cafe, where we unveiled our professionally designed label and offered free samples of brewed coffee. Before the party, Lori eyed the trays of refreshments, bottles of wine, and miscellaneous boxes to be loaded into the van along with the kids. Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, Lori grumbled, “I’m tired of hosting events!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Lori saw 7-year-old Matthew lugging the heavy boxes out of the house. “Matthew, what are you doing?” she asked. With a determined look in his eye, Matthew calmly stated, “Loading the van for you. We need to go raise money for a cure. What is worse, events or diabetes?”
Lori’s jaw dropped and her eyes filled with tears. Indeed! What is worse: hosting fundraising events or living day-in, day-out with a life-threatening medical condition? One that requires relentless blood sugar checks, frequent insulin pump site changes, and every morsel of food to be measured for its carbohydrate count. One with grave and very real long-term health risks. Sarah, Emily and Matthew, without a moment’s hesitation, answer that question: diabetes.
It took the spontaneous, heartfelt words of a child to remind Lori just why we keep fundraising year after year.
Please help us in our quest to cure this disease. Our team goal this year is $40,000, up from last year’s team total of a phenomenal $34,000! Over 85 cents of every dollar raised for JDRF directly funds researchers working tirelessly to find a cure for our kids and the other 246 million people living around the world with diabetes.
Mail your check (payable to JDRF) in the enclosed envelope by September 1. If you prefer to donate online with a credit card, go to our website at
http://www.3coffeysnosugar.com/. While there, you can donate to JDRF through their secure website. You can also read fundraising updates, order coffee, view a touching video showing a day in the life of “the 3 Coffeys”, or register to walk with us at 1:00 pm on Sunday, September 7 at Peoria’s Glen Oak Amphitheater. Thanks a latté!
