NEWS RELEASE

10/29/02

CONTACT: Barbara Palmer, News Service: (650) 724-6184, barbara.palmer@stanford.edu

COMMENT: Gordon Earle, Vice President for Public Affairs: (650) 724-0334, gearle@stanford.edu

Stanford walks to raise money for diabetes research

A contingent of more than 250 staff, faculty, students and community members representing Stanford raised $27,633 for diabetes research at the Walk to Cure Diabetes at Shoreline Park in Mountain View on Sunday.

Members from 10 area churches who joined with the Stanford walkers contributed more than 10 percent of the money raised, said LaDoris Cordell, vice provost for campus relations. Cordell said she expects the size of the final contribution to grow over the next two weeks. The Office of Campus Relations, the Haas Center for Public Service and the Stanford Alumni Association sponsored university participation in the walk.

Cordell used the walk as a way to raise funds for research and to raise campus and community awareness of diabetes. In the United States, approximately 17 million people, or 6.2 percent of the population, has been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. The disease, the fifth-deadliest in the nation, is even more prevalent in African American, Latino, Native American and Pacific Islander populations.

"Members of the Stanford community are proud to be taking part in this event," said Gordon Earle, vice president for public affairs, who participated in the walk. "It's a great cause. We believe the funds we raised as a result of this walk can and will make a difference."

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