School Walk for Diabetes;
Yates Elementary, Lexington, KY

April 20, 2007

Today I got the privilege of speaking to Yates Elementary in downtown Lexington, KY. This is one of my biggest passions, speaking to children and teens about diabetes and staying healthy.

A little background about Yates Elementary:

When I got there it was set up nicely in the gym area. There was also a huge screen in the middle of the gym for all of the students to look at. After I got done speaking they were going to play a game called, “Are you smarter than a Yates Student?”, just like the TV Game Show, “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” This was really great for all of the students, K-5 because they got to compete against their teachers.

As I spoke to the students, they were very well behaved and very good listeners! I first talked about my story and how I got diabetes. Second, I told them the facts about diabetes and I told them that there are over 175,000 children in the United States with diabetes, just like them, which for the Kentucky fans that they are, I told them that that is almost 10 Rupp Arena’s full of children…and that’s is a lot! I made sure that they knew why they needed to take care of their bodies and prevent themselves from getting type 2 diabetes. I told them that it was necessary for them to take care of their bodies by having a balanced diet, eating healthy, and exercising regularly.

This is why I was there to talk to those children at Yates Elementary. I wanted to make sure that they knew I cared about them and their health, and that they should as well.  I am here for all of the youth and teenagers and adults of America. I am honored to be the National Youth Advocate because it lets me help others and it’s all about you, not me. I am here to help you and serve you.

Remember become an advocate!

I'd like to hear from you! Email me at nya@diabetes.org.

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