We talked with our summer intern Tommy Hauver, of Towson, MD, about his family’s commitment to Breakthrough T1D and the T1D Egg Crack Challenge.

Q: Tell us about yourself: Who are you? What is your personal story?

A: I grew up in Towson and recently graduated from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. My major was communication studies, and I hope to utilize some of what I learn as this summer’s intern in the Breakthrough T1D Maryland office.  I have previously interned at Dunlop Sports and played on the Furman club lacrosse team in college.

Q: Describe your history with Type 1 Diabetes and your relationship with Breakthrough T1D.

A: My brother Will was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes back when we were both in middle school.  During his senior year at Rollins College, where he was captain of the lacrosse team, he passed away due to complications with his diabetes.  After his death, my family used a YouTube video he made during the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge craze and created the T1D Egg Crack Challenge.  Between attending galas, participating in the bike rides, and putting on our own Paddle for the Cure event, we have been involved with Breakthrough T1D any way that we can. It is our family’s mission to honor Will by ending T1D.

Q: Tell us about your volunteer and fundraising efforts.

A. The Egg Crack Challenge has been the largest fundraising effort we have been a part of.  You can check out a Buzzfeed article talking all about Will and his inspiration for the original video.  Will basically felt that those with Type One deserved the same recognition that those with other chronic diseases were getting, and seeing the outreach and impact of this video that my own brother made has been incredible.

From my family, to Will’s high school and college classmates and all the way to NFL players and the “Today Show” cast, the Egg Crack Challenge has reached people across the globe.  It is truly inspiring, and we hold the Egg Crack Challenge in honor of Will every year to bring more awareness to those with T1D and to help fund a cure.

Our family has also always been big on platform tennis. We turned that passion into Paddle for the Cure, a platform tennis, round-robin tournament every year to help raise T1D awareness and donations for Breakthrough T1D.

Q: What has been your most memorable volunteer experience with the chapter?  Why?

A: Definitely at the Breakthrough T1D One Walk, Baltimore this past month on May 14th. I had only started working in the office less than a week before, and it was an inspiring start to my internship to support the T1D families in our community. Besides the insanely early time I had to wake-up (I had to be at the site at 5:30am and just never thought about how early staff and volunteers show up to hosts events like these for our area), I had a great time helping to set up the Walk and getting to interact with other people like me who are connected by our mission to end T1D.