The JDRF One Walk is this Saturday, June 11, 8:30 a.m. at Ella Sharp Park. The walk, which is a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research, is two miles. So far, they have raised over $73,000 of their $105,900 fundraising goal.

“This is a peer-to-peer event so what happens is people form teams and they’re either fundraising on their own behalf as a type 1 diabetic, or families will form teams in honor of a type 1 diabetic,” said April Gasbarre, donor relations manager for JDRF.

Makena L’Huillier, lifelong type 1 diabetic and coordinator of the Jackson JDRF Walk, says the biggest misconception about type 1 diabetes, which is insulin-dependent diabetes, is a childhood disease. In fact, the onset can happen at any age.

“It’s not just the walk event, it really is a celebration…” L’Huillier says of the JDRF Walk on June 11. “It’s really important for those that have type 1 and are associated with type 1 because this really is a great time to really advocate for ourselves. Research is one thing, donations is one thing, but if you’re not advocating for yourself as a type 1, you’re really losing out on a lot, I believe.”

Gasbarre and L’Huillier were on WKHM recently with Greg O’Connor. Hear the full interview below:

Walk details: