UNL diabetes walk raises Type 1 awareness – Lincoln Journal Star

When University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergrad Ethan Cismoski began browsing fraternities to join, Delta Tau Deltas philanthropic partner immediately caught his attention.

The national fraternity has a partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization funding research to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes a disease Cismoski was diagnosed with he was 16.

Once he was diagnosed, Cismoski, the current philanthropy chair of the Lincoln fraternity, had to learn how to adjust to accommodate for the disease. This includes checking blood sugar about six times each day and injecting insulin after every meal.

Learning about it was pretty hard, he said. Its such a big lifestyle change everyones heard of diabetes, but nobody really knows what happens or what the people go through.

On Sunday morning, Delta Tau Delta hosted an event to help change this. The Lincoln fraternity chapter teamed up with the College Diabetes Network-Lincoln student organization to raise awareness for Type 1 Diabetes through its first annual JDRF Walk.

The walk looped across campus, leading them from the Nebraska Union, through Memorial Stadium and back. While the walk was free, $15 donations gave participants a T-shirt. All proceeds went to the Lincoln JDRF chapter.

Haley Schepers, president and founder of College Diabetes Network-Lincoln,said she was happy the organization and fraternity were able to pair up to host the event.

Its good to show that the Greek community is more than just Greek life, she said. Its good to have them support us and be able to work with them as a Greek life, university life combination, which doesnt happen very often.

Justin Hicklin, the external vice president of the fraternity chapter, said the walk had raised about $1,200 as of Sunday morning, but this years event focused more on raising awareness rather than money.

(We want people to be) aware of what diabetics go through on a daily basis, Hicklin said. I think its just cool that people are here and show that they care.

Schepers said she hopes increased awareness can lead to a change across campus.

We want to create a community of support for Type 1 Diabetics on campus, she said. Theres different things for Type 1 Diabetics (that can change), like having the carbs at the dining halls that helps make their lives easier on campus.

Cismoski agreed that raised awareness is important he could even see misinformation about the disease at Sunday's walk. Event organizers offered free coffee and donuts, and Cismoski overheard people asking if diabetic people could eat the food.

Diabetes is pretty popular, but no one really knows how it works, he said. We can eat the same stuff you do, we just need an extra step.

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UNL diabetes walk raises Type 1 awareness - Lincoln Journal Star