On May 3, 2025, the Syracuse community gathered at the Breakthrough T1D Syracuse Gala presented by KeyBank in support of our mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications. Marriott Syracuse Downtown was a beautiful backdrop for this year’s event, and sponsors, donors, and attendees helped us raise over $165,000 for T1D breakthroughs.
Presented by KeyBank
Thank you to our Presenting Partner of this year’s Gala: KeyBank. They believe in the power of community and the importance of coming together to make a difference, and we are grateful to have their support in the fight to cure T1D.
Honoring The Joslin Diabetes Center
We were proud to honor Joslin Diabetes Center at this year’s event. Elizabeth Wasmund and Marc Hann helped introduce Joslin in the ballroom, sharing the story of their daughter’s T1D diagnosis last summer. Although they were overwhelmed by the influx of information, they felt supported by the doctors, nurses, and educators who work there:
“We quickly realized how lucky we were to live in this community and to have access to Joslin. Their team treated us with incredible empathy, answered every question, and empowered us with the tools and education we needed to bring Faye home safely and confidently.”
Dr. Roberto Izquierdo and Dr. Margaret Nellis attended the event to say a few words on behalf of Joslin. We are grateful for Joslin’s extraordinary commitment to advancing type 1 diabetes care and support and were proud to honor them at the 2025 Breakthrough T1D Syracuse Gala.
Fund A Cure: The Parisi Family
This year, we were proud to feature the T1D story of the Parisis as part of our Fund A Cure portion of the evening’s program. Tom, Penny, and their daughter, Samantha, joined our guests in the ballroom to share their experience when Samantha was diagnosed with T1D. Tom and Penny described how jarring it was to suddenly be monitoring Samantha blood glucose levels 24/7, using needles over a dozen times a day, and learning to calculate the proper insulin-to-carb ratio for her. A few months into her diagnosis, technologies like an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitors made managing her diabetes more convenient, but in Penny’s words: “It is never easy.” You can watch the video we shared in the ballroom to tell Samantha’s story of learning to live with type 1 diabetes here.
The Parisi Family shared their story to motivate and inspire attendees in the room to donate to Breakthrough T1D and help us accelerate breakthroughs in research.
Thank you to all our Partners who made this year’s event possible.
Presenting Partner: KeyBank
Silver Sponsors: Auburn Community Hospital; Bary & Sally Feinberg; BHG Financial; Crouse Health; Marriott Syracuse Downtown; Syracuse University; Tops Friendly Markets; Upstate Radiation Oncology
Bar Sponsor: Stanley Steemer
Floral Sponsor: AmeriCU Credit Union
Live Auction Sponsor: Bond, Schoeneck & King
Silent Auction Sponsor: Upstate Medical University Urology
Table Sponsor: Strategic Development Specialists
Rising Corporate Partners: Mackenzie Hughes LLP; Sutton Real Estate Cos.; Visual Technologies