Breakthrough T1D Greater Orange County January Newsletter

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Happy New Year from all of us at the Breakthrough T1D Southern California and Hawai’i! We are looking forward to another incredible year of growth as we drive research to treat, prevent, and cure type 1 diabetes.

Breakthrough T1D Walk

We are beyond grateful for our incredible Orange County community for another memorable Breakthrough T1D Walk! Despite the rain, you showed up in full force, and we had the joy of spending the day with so many wonderful families, friends, and supporters. Together, we’ve already raised over $554,000 for T1D research! A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated Walk Committee and our Walk Chair, Mark Oshima, for helping bring this meaningful day to life. Your passion, hard work, and commitment to creating breakthroughs for the T1D community made this year’s Walk truly unforgettable. We are so close to our goal of $588,000 and fundraising pages are still open. Let’s keep the momentum from Walk Day going!

A huge thank you to our sponsors:

  • Activities Zone Sponsor: Bandai Namco Foundation of America
  • Brighter Future Sponsors: Breakthrough T1D Greater Orange County Board of Directors, Haskell & White, Hoag – Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center, Kingston Technology, Positive Beverage, and Willow Labs
  • Resource Row Vendors: Good Journey Donuts, Medtronic, Omnipod, T1D Oral Health Foundation, and Twiist.

Thank you for being such an important part of this movement!

As we wrap up 2025, remember that Walk fundraising is still open! Whether you’re close to your goal or striving to earn the $500 V1P Club or $1,000 V1P Champion incentives, you still have time. Year-End Giving is the ideal moment to elevate your fundraising and hit that next milestone. Donation pages will remain open into January, 2026, but V1P rewards must be earned and redeemed by December 31st.

Gala

We are thrilled to share that, under the leadership of Co-Chairs Nancy Mienik, Claire Squier, and Mara Wilkie, the 2026 Beyond A Dream Gala will take place at the beautiful Balboa Bay Resort on Saturday, March 14th!

The research advancements that have been made are not possible without your support, and we ask that you please consider supporting us this year; if you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity, all that is required at this time is your commitment, and funds can be paid at a later date. To review sponsorship opportunities, you can view our sponsorship packet here.

Should you be interested in donating to our auction efforts, we’d sincerely appreciate your support! Your generosity is tremendously meaningful to us and will be gratefully appreciated by the T1D community. We hope to have all auction items secured by February 20, 2026.

For more information, or to purchase tickets please visit our website here. If you are interested in joining our gala committee, have any questions regarding the event, would like to secure a sponsorship, or would like to donate an auction item, please reach out to Development Manager, Alex Hines.

Golf

Save the Date for our Fore the Kids Golf Classic to be held on Monday June 15th, 2026 at Monarch Beach Golf Links. To get more information or to join the event committee please contact Lauren Christ.

Endurance

Ride

Join us for the Breakthrough T1D Ride, where every pedal stroke powers research, advocacy, and support to improve lives until we find a cure. This inspiring, high-energy event welcomes cyclists of all skill levels to raise T1D awareness and accelerate our journey to a world without T1D. We are excited to announce the 2026 Ride destinations!

  • La Crosse, WI: August 13-16, 2026
  • The Cascades, WA: August 27-30, 2026
  • Cape Cod, MA: September 24-27, 2026
  • Austin, TX: October 27-November 1, 2026
  • Amelia Island, FL: December 3-6, 2026
  • MY RIDE: Your Ride, Your Way, Your Day

Where will you ride? Save the date today!

For questions or more information about Breakthrough T1D Endurance opportunities, contact Judy Parra.

Community Engagement

The Breakthrough T1D Community Summit is an educational and networking opportunity for all those impacted by type 1 diabetes (T1D). It will bring our community together to learn from T1D experts, hear about the latest breakthroughs in T1D research, meet vendor exhibitors, connect with others impacted by T1D, and more. We look forward to having you join us at the Orange County Community Summit in April 2026. More details coming soon!

As we look ahead to the New Year, we’re forming Community Engagement Committees across several regions. If you’re passionate about bringing people together, supporting event planning, or helping strengthen our healthcare partnerships, we’d be thrilled to have you involved! If you are interested in joining us, please contact Catrina Cooper

Upcoming Chapter Events

In Person Events

  • Winter Fun with Rufus, Murrieta – Saturday, January 31, 2026, 9am at the Rady Children’s Specialists at Murrieta Medical Plaza (25170 Hancock Avenue). This is a family friendly event. There will be Winter themed crafts and activities, t-shirt decorating for Rufus, along with T1D resources and information! Don’t forget your Rufus or other special friend! Light snacks will be provided. Please RSVP here by Tuesday, January 27.
  • Breakfast With Rufus, Orange County – Saturday, February 21, 2026, 10am at the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center. Come have breakfast with your local T1D community and our favorite bear with diabetes, Rufus! Don’t forget to bring your own Rufus or special friend. With questions or to RSVP, contact Catrina Cooper.

Virtual Events

Written by: rspidell