On December 2nd, more than 100 women gathered at a local Dallas country club to play mahjong while raising funds for Breakthrough T1D’s North Texas chapter. With a special visit from Santa Claus, the guests took photos with him amidst the festive decorations. They sipped beverages, enjoyed lunch and played three rounds of mahjong with special prizes for the winners.
Event co-chairs Leigh Burns and Lane Olson welcomed friends and attendees for this creative fundraiser. Burns welcomed everyone, and Olson told of her son who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Local Breakthrough T1D volunteer Adrian Traylor shared how her husband and two stepdaughters have type 1 diabetes and urged everyone to donate funds and purchase a raffle ticket. High school ambassador Donna Chen, who has type 1 diabetes, talked about how she deals with this condition while trying to be a normal student.
Amy Camp, Breakthrough T1D Territory Director, added, “Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that affects nearly 1.5 million people in the United States, including over 200,000 children. And those numbers continue to grow. With your generosity, we can keep this momentum going and bring us to the day when Type 1 diabetes is a thing of the past.”
This lively event supported research, advocacy and programs that improve the lives of those affected by type 1 diabetes.
Special thanks to sponsors Leigh Burns, Penny Tower Cook, Rachel Finkbohner, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International.
About Breakthrough T1D: Founded in 1970 as the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) and renamed the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in 2001, the organization rebranded in 2024 as Breakthrough T1D to reflect a bold commitment to improving the lives of both children and adults living with type 1 diabetes. As the leading global organization driving T1D research, advocacy and community engagement, Breakthrough T1D accelerates progress toward cures and better treatments while making everyday life easier for everyone affected. The North Texas and Oklahoma Territory comprises the Dallas, Fort Worth and Oklahoma Chapters that host major fundraising events across the region, including the annual luncheon in Dallas, galas in Dallas, Fort Worth, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City as well as local walks in The Colony, Durant, Tulsa, Fort Worth, and Oklahoma City. Visit breakthrought1d.org/northtexasoklahoma, email northtexasoklahoma@BreakthroughT1D.org, or call 214-373-9808.
(photo credit: Lisa Means)