Dear Friends,
As we prepare for the 25th Annual Breakthrough T1D Tee Up to Cure Diabetes Golf Classic on July 13, 2026, at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, I find myself reflecting on just how far this tournament and this community has come. Twenty-five years is a remarkable milestone. For me, it carries even deeper meaning, as this will be my final year serving as Chair. It feels like the right moment to pause and appreciate everything we’ve built together.
When we started this tournament in 2002, the reason was deeply personal. My son Zach, now 27, had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at just 10 months old. A few years later, my daughter Ava, 24, received the same diagnosis at the age of 12. T1D is an autoimmune disease in which the body cannot produce insulin, meaning blood sugar must be carefully monitored and managed every day. Like so many families, we quickly learned what that meant—constant decisions, middle-of-the-night checks, and calculations that never really stop. T1D becomes part of the rhythm of your days and nights. But from the very beginning, we believed that our worry could be transformed into action and we could make a meaningful difference.
Over the past 25 years, that belief has turned into something powerful.
Together, this community has raised more than $2.6 million in support of the mission of Breakthrough T1D through this tournament. During that time, the standard of T1D care has advanced in ways many of us could only hope for back in 2002. Families now have tools like continuous glucose monitors and automated insulin delivery systems that make daily management easier and more predictable. Support like yours has also helped move forward therapies that preserve insulin-producing cells and delay the onset of T1D, creating real hope for what lies ahead.
This 25th year is both a celebration and an opportunity, and there are many ways to take part. Join us on the course. Sponsor a foursome. Invite a colleague. Encourage someone new to experience the purpose behind this tradition.
After 25 years, what stands out most to me is not just the funds raised, but the people who have shown up year after year to make this event what it is today. I would be honored to have you with us at Quidnessett this July as we celebrate how far we’ve come and continue the work that means so much to families like mine and so many others.
With sincere appreciation,
Chris Librizzi
Chair, Breakthrough T1D Tee Up to Cure Diabetes Golf Classic