We love to feature our Walk teams that are doing something extraordinary to turn Type One into Type None! Check this wonderful story written by Betty Harden about her son Tyler and how he, and his yummy tomatoes are raising funds for a world without Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

The Little Table That Could
By: Betty Harden

Our son Tyler was diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus or Type One Diabetes (T1D) two years ago when he was 4 years old. Each year Breakthrough T1D (formally known as Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) has a fundraising drive, our family’s team is Team Pokey. We have participated in this event for the last two years.

Part of how we raised money this year was with “Tyler’s Tomatoes”. If you have driven down Grassy Hill Rd you have seen the small 2’x2’ table at the end of our driveway full of tomatoes from our garden. Tyler helped us plant the tomatoes, pick and clean them, and restock the table. Our original thought was whatever tomatoes we have left over we would put out on the table. We had very modest expectations for a child’s plastic playskool table. We placed a jar on the table with a note explaining all the money collected would go to Breakthrough T1D.

The “Little Table That Could” far, far exceeded our modest expectations; we raised $362.52 for Breakthrough T1D from that little table. People were very generous and gave more money than what they took in tomatoes. It appeared some people drove in off of route 220 just to get tomatoes and some people stopped and gave money without taking tomatoes, too!

We did not count the money until the end of the season, because it was never about, “how much money the table made”, it was about “every dollar the little table made puts us that much closer to a cure”. We were surprised and overwhelmed by the generosity of those who stopped! Thank you for helping us support Breakthrough T1D in funding important research so one day we can cure and prevent diabetes!

You can find more information on Tyler’s team page at https://secure3.convio.net/jdrf3/goto/teampokey. Thanks to everyone who supported Tyler’s Tomatoes!