JDRF Promise Gala Raises $1.6M for Type 1 Diabetes Research

The 22nd annual JDRF Promise Gala – Invest in a Cure, organized by the JDRF Omaha-Council Bluffs Chapter (jdrf.org/omaha), raised more than $1.6 million to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications. Honorary chairs, Stephanie and Robb Pantano, and event chairs, Carolyn and Chase Sutton, helped bring together business and community members to the CHI Health Center Omaha for this amazing event on February 23. The JDRF Omaha-Council Bluffs Chapter gratefully acknowledges its presenting sponsor, Renaissance Financial.

For the first time in its history, the event was live streamed due to the blizzard to allow guests to be a part of the night if they were not able to drive to the Gala. A passionate crowd, in the ballroom and at home, bid on silent and live auction items and donated to the signature JDRF Fund A Cure program. Fund A Cure provides the opportunity to make a 100% tax-deductible gift directly to fund critical JDRF research priorities. As a result of the guests’ incredible generosity, Fund A Cure contributions raised over $1 million! The evening ended with a concert from platinum-selling artist Dennis DeYoung: The Music of STYX.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.

JDRF has invested more than $2 billion in research funding since its inception. JDRF collaborates with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org/omaha or follow along on Twitter (@JDRFOmahaCB).