It’s no secret that COVID-19 has led to cancellations upon cancellations in everyone’s life. One of the many canceled events is the JDRF 2020 spring Gala. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the leading organization for fundraising research regarding medical treatment and curing type 1 diabetes. The spring gala, in particular, is the top fundraising event of the year for JDRF. Monona Terrace in Madison was set to host the gala on Saturday, March 14, at the Monona Terrace in Madison. The theme of the gala was “Lights, Camera, Cure!” and was a red carpet-like black-tie event for fundraising. Liliana Roden, a sophomore at MHS with type 1, was a big part of the event. Roden’s family was going to be the ‘Fund a Cure Family’ meaning at the event they would get to “share their story and journey with diabetes through videos and speeches during the Fund a Cure section of the gala.” 

The gala would have presented many ways for attendees to make a contribution to JDRF. Included at the event was a silent auction with lots of items to bid on in addition to a live auction after dinner. The Rodens would give speeches after dinner, and afterward, there would be a Fund a Cure donation option. Finally, in the end, there would be a time for dancing.

According to Roden, as of right now, “there isn’t a solid plan for rescheduling [because] it’s a big event and takes a lot of planning.” She says the main goal at this point is just to keep everyone safe from the virus “because type 1 diabetics have weakened immune systems [and] the virus is very dangerous for them.” Although it’s disappointing, the event had to be pushed back, it’s for everyone’s safety, and there is still hope of rescheduling in the future once everything becomes safe again. 

To learn more about JDRF or to donate to the organization, go to the website here.