Summer is officially in full swing, which means members of the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community across the country are heading out for days at the pool, beach, or a neighborhood barbecue (check out our summer guide for all your T1D tips!).
But for the Tierney family in Sacramento, summer also means it’s time for another wiffle ball tournament to help raise the money fueling the research powering T1D breakthroughs.
It’s all possible thanks to Breakthrough T1D’s Your Way fundraising program, which puts you at the controls with your custom campaign idea, while we handle all the tools, resources, and support you need to make it happen.
The Tierney Tourney: Wiffle for Cures
Gabe and Sarah Tierney’s two children, Finn and Rowan, have both been living with T1D since childhood.
“My son Finn was diagnosed at the age of 3, he’s now 19. And then my daughter Rowan was diagnosed at the age of 7, and she’s now 16,” Gabe said.
Eighteen years ago, Gabe and Sarah threw their first Tierney Tourney wiffle ball tournament, drawing in friends and family for a day of fun in the little park across the street from their house in Sacramento.
“The first eight years, we just did it as just a local thing,” Gabe said. “And then we said, ‘Why don’t we just turn it into a fundraiser?’ and off we went.”
“The first year, we raised almost $10,000,” he added.
Now in its tenth year as a Breakthrough T1D Your Way fundraiser, the Tierney Tourneys have raised over $170,000 for T1D research—and that’s not counting the more than $18,000 raised towards the $20,000 goal for this year’s contest on June 20.
“These are all individual donations,” Gabe said. “There’s some corporate matching, but most of this are just very generous individual donations.”
It’s $100 per each 2-man team to register, with 100 percent of that fee going to Breakthrough T1D.
“A lot of teams donate a lot more than $100,” Gabe said. “They’ll do $250, some people do $1,000—it’s just incredible.”
Additionally, Gabe sends each year’s fundraising page out to friends and family, so people can donate directly.
“That’s where the bulk of the revenue comes in,” he said.
And when tournament day rolls around, it’s “essentially a big party.”
“We get music, a bounce house and ice cream truck for the kids, we’ve done face painting, we supply all the food, all the beverages,” Gabe said. “There’s probably at least 100 people at the house, and then there’s a field of 40 guys that are playing wiffle ball.”
Support and Recognition
Over the years, Gabe says it’s been great to see the overwhelming support for the Tierney Tourney, and for Breakthrough T1D.
“It’s really turned into quite a big thing that a lot of people around Sacramento know about,” Gabe said.
That includes Mayor Kevin McCarty, who has played in the tournament several times. And in 2024, when McCarty was still serving in the California State Assembly, he brought the Tierneys down the road to the California State Capitol and honored them with a special resolution celebrating the fundraiser.
“Everyone wants to support my kids and what they’re going through and the overall cause, and it’s just been good to educate everyone about T1D,” Gabe said.
Getting Your Your Way Started
Gabe’s biggest piece of advice for people looking to start fundraising with Breakthrough T1D Your Way? Just get involved!
“There’s no failed program, no matter what degree of success you have with it,” Gabe said. “Just try anything! Whether it’s a local pool party or a cornhole tournament or something, whether you raise $1,000 or $50,000, it’s all good and it’s fun to do.”
And he says it can be small and simple—that’s how the Tierney Tourney got going.
“There’s not a lot to it! That’s kind of the funny part—it’s just a party and people donate, but it goes to such a good cause,” he said.
Of course, Gabe also recommends reaching out to your local Breakthrough T1D chapter, as they can help you get things going.
“For anybody that’s looking to do something like this on any scale, just team up with your local Breakthrough T1D chapter and they’re totally supportive—they’ll do the website for you, track all of your donations, it’s really great,” he said.
Get in on the action by starting a Breakthrough T1D Your Way fundraiser of your own. You’ll be joining a community united by the bold vision of a world without T1D!
