The challenge has been put forth to the insurance industry – get on your bikes and ride!
Aviva Canada CEO Greg Somerville and ClaimsPro/IndemniPro President Bob Fitzgerald want their colleagues to step up and get involved in the JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research.
“It’s easy to get behind a tremendous organization like this,” says Somerville, “once you understand what it’s all about.”
The team of Fitzgerald, Somerville and JDRF has set a goal for the insurance industry to raise over $155,000 through participating in this year’s ride.
“Everyone can get on a bike for seven minutes”, says Fitzgerald. “We should easily pass our goal.”
At yesterday’s 2014 Insurance Sector Breakfast and CEO Challenge for the JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research launch, Fitzgerald and Somerville invited all of their insurance sector colleagues to step up to the challenge and get involved in the JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Ride for Diabetes Research takes place this fall in major centres across Canada. To learn more, click
here.
For more than four decades, JDRF has been a global leader in the search for an end to type 1 diabetes (T1D), through both research funding and advocacy, said Dave Prowten, president and CEO of JDRF, speaking at yesterday’s breakfast. The JDRF Ride brings thousands of individuals together for a stationary bike ride in teams of five, with corporations from across the country participating with large teams joining in to help celebrate achievement and advocate awareness.
Fast Facts
• More than 300,000 Canadians are living with T1D;
• Diabetes currently affects 366 million people worldwide and is expected to affect 552 million by 2030;
• In Canada, more than 20 people are diagnosed with diabetes every hour of every day;
• Diabetes is consuming an ever-larger share of provincial and territorial health care budgets;
• With the aging of Canada's population, the total direct health care costs associated with diabetes is expected to increase to over $8 billion annually by 2016;
• Canadians with diabetes incur medical expenses that are up to three times higher than those without diabetes; and
• A person with diabetes can face direct costs for medication and diabetes supplies ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 per year.
