Fund A Cure with Barry Boyer | Breakthrough T1D Cedar Rapids Gala 2026

About

On November 1, 2025, the Breakthrough T1D Promise Gala will celebrate 23 years of relentless hope, unwavering commitment, and life-changing progress in the fight against type 1 diabetes.

We are excited to honor an extraordinary member of our Breakthrough T1D family — Barry Boyer. Barry’s journey with us began many years ago, through a powerful friendship with a colleague whose 6-year-old daughter, Samantha, had just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. True to his nature, Barry didn’t just offer sympathy — he took action. He made a personal commitment to fight for Samantha and for every child and adult living with this relentless disease.

In 2009, Barry stepped up in a big way, taking on a leadership role in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. As a respected leader at Van Meter, he mobilized his network — both personal and professional — to amplify our mission. Thanks to his efforts, more people began to understand not only the severity of T1D but also the hope that comes from unified action.

Barry’s impact didn’t end when the walk was over. His legacy lives on — not just at Van Meter, but across our community. Barry has never shied away from a challenge and T1D is no exception. It is with immense pride and gratitude that we honor him at this event.

Since Barry first joined our fight, the landscape of type 1 diabetes has changed dramatically. Thanks to relentless advocacy, tireless research, and champions like Barry, people living with T1D now have access to life-saving technologies — insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors that help maintain safer blood sugar levels around the clock.

Even more groundbreaking, we can now screen for early markers of T1D — and for the first time ever, we have a disease-altering medication available that can delay the onset of insulin dependence.

And the future is even brighter. Human clinical trials are now underway testing cell-based therapies that have the potential to eliminate the need for insulin entirely. These aren’t just dreams anymore — they’re rapidly becoming reality.

We invite you to honor Barry in support of the Promise Gala. Opportunities include sponsorships, tickets and a gift directly to research through our Fund A Cure program.