Run, Don't Walk: Yamaha Cares and Yamaha Runners Raise Over $9,000 to Combat Juvenile Diabetes

Yamaha runners raised $9,152 for the Children's Hospital of Orange County's Trial Net program for juvenile diabetes research.

BUENA PARK, Calif.—For the second year in a row, Yamaha Cares and Yamaha employees helped combat juvenile diabetes by participating in the Southern California Half Marathon in Irvine. Yamaha runners raised $9,152 for the Children's Hospital of Orange County's Trial Net program for juvenile diabetes research, one of the few research facilities in the country that is trying to find a cure for this potentially fatal disease.

"This cause is very personal for us and it gives people a good feeling to be able to support a world-class institution like the Children's Hospital, which does such wonderful work," said Carol Baker, Vice President of Human Resources, Yamaha Corporation of America, who oversees Yamaha Cares, an employee-based initiative dedicated to charitable works. In the past, Yamaha Cares has also provided support for the Children's Hospital of Orange County's Neuroscience Institute and Alissa's Angels support program.

Four years ago, Katrina Jewell, daughter of David Jewell, Marketing Manager, Yamaha Drums, was diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes. Katrina, now 17, is an outpatient at the Children's Hospital.

"It was great to have more people participate this year; some of them really went above and beyond," said Jewell.

Jose Perez, a training manager at Yamaha Commercial Audio, and his wife were geared up to run their first 5k, but they lined up on the wrong side of the street. "Before we knew it, we were running the half marathon," said Perez. "Believe or not, we made it. We got a good laugh out of that."

The CHOC Diabetes Center is the first pediatric diabetes program in Southern California to be recognized for meeting and maintaining American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards of care guidelines. It is also one of the largest screening sites for the NIH-sponsored Diabetes Prevention Trial-1.

Yamaha Cares actively raises funds for many other Southern California programs, including the Special Olympics, college music scholarships, The Boys and Girls Club, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Make a Wish Foundation, Families of Camp Pendelton, Orange County Food Bank and Toys For Tots, to name a few.

For more information on Yamaha Cares, visit www.yamahacares.com, or write Yamaha Corporation of America, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.