Celtics Star Ray Allen, Joslin Diabetes Center & The Kolok Family Team Up to Slam Diabetes

Jan. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- For the New Year, two families are coming together with a common bond, fighting for a cure for diabetes for their children and the countless others impacted by the disease every day.  Boston Celtics star guard Ray Allen, his wife Shannon and mother Flora Allen-Hopson, are joining with Jeff and Natalie Kolok of Jericho, Vermont and their organization SlamDiabetes™ to raise funds for the Joslin Diabetes Center.  

 “With the Celtics, we have our own Big Three in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and me,” said Ray Allen.  “Combining the determination of my family, with Jeff and Natalie’s and SlamDiabetes, along with the great folks at the Joslin Diabetes Center, now that’s a Big Three to reckon with when it comes to fighting diabetes.”  

Ray’s $3 for 3’s Program Celtics fans will have another reason to cheer every time star guard Ray Allen scores a 3-pointer this season.  Ray and his mother, Flora Allen-Hopson, have created the Ray’s $3 for 3’s Program to raise money for the Joslin Diabetes Center.  Supporters are invited to commit a $3 donation to the Joslin Diabetes Center’s High Hopes Fund for each 3-point shot Ray makes during the 2010-2011 Boston Celtics basketball season.  Participants will have the option of either supporting the program for the entire season, or they may choose a specific month to participate.  

At the end of the Celtics season, the Joslin Diabetes Center and Flora Allen-Hopson will host a special VIP reception to thank full-season supporters.  Season long participants will also be entered into monthly raffles, receive a limited edition SlamDiabetes $3 for 3’s T-shirt, and have the exclusive option to bid on exciting opportunities such as sitting courtside with Mrs. Allen for the VIP Celtics experience.  

For more information about Ray’s $3 for 3’s Program, please visit: http://events.joslin.org/3for3/.  Supporters can also purchase a SlamDiabetes $3 for 3’s T-shirt to support the program at http://www.parentingdiabetickids.com/slamdiabetes.  The shirts are available for $25 with 100% of net proceeds going to benefit the Joslin Diabetes Center.  This is the first of many initiatives being planned between the Allens, Joslin and SlamDiabetes.

“The Allen family and we are bonded through this experience as parents, and we’ve chosen to team up in the fight against Type 1 diabetes,” said Jeff Kolok of SlamDiabetes.

“When my son nails a 3-point shot against an opposing team, they should know he is not only doing it to win the game.  Ray is also sinking those shots to help find a cure for his son and my grandson Walker, Jeff and Natalie’s children, and the countless other children and adults battling Type 1 diabetes,” said Mrs. Allen.  

All proceeds from Ray’s $3 for 3’s Program will support the Joslin Diabetes Center’s High Hopes Fund, that supports Joslin’s efforts to improve the lives of people with diabetes through care, education and research, and to prevent and cure the disease.  For more information about the High Hopes Fund, please visit: http://www.joslin.org/giving/high_hopes_fund.html.

Kolok Family – Slamming Diabetes One Day at a Time

Jeff and Natalie Kolok live in northwestern Vermont with their three kids: Naomi, 16, Johanna and Nick, each 10 years old. Both Johanna and Nick have Type 1 diabetes.  When Johanna was diagnosed at the age of 4, in the spring of 2005, Jeff and Natalie Kolok, like all parents whose child is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, had no choice but to learn and just do, on the go, right out of the gate; diving head first to confront a disease that threatened their daughter’s life.  It was an immediate realization that Type 1 diabetes has an isolating effect and that on-going support is essential.  Unfortunately for some, support can be the toughest commodity to come by.  This is what fuels their mission and was the impetus to reach out to others by creating the website http://www.parentingdiabetickids.com.  ParentingDiabeticKids.com has become an invaluable resource for these parents worldwide and Joslin has recognized and listed it as an on-line resource for their patient parents.  

The Kolok family felt compelled to do more and thought of ways to open their home to other children and families affected by diabetes.  They learned about a six year old little boy who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes while in foster care. The Vermont Department for Children and Families had been on a statewide search for a permanent home for him but there were no "takers" because of his diabetes. The Kolok family welcomed Nick into their home that June and on September 8, 2008 his adoption was completed.

ABOUT SLAMDIABETES
SlamDiabetes™ is the Kolok’s brand for raising awareness.  Sales from the on-line store will help raise funds for scholarships and grants for families living with Type 1 diabetes to attend camps and conferences created to help develop skills and practices with which to manage diabetes. These sponsored experiences also provide support, assistance for loved ones, and a place to connect with other kids with Type 1.  SlamDiabetes™, and ParentingDiabeticKids.com, currently support the American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and centers such as the Joslin Diabetes Center, Kovler Diabetes Center, as well as numerous other organizations and camps across the country.

ABOUT JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
Joslin Diabetes Center is the world's preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization. Joslin is dedicated to ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives and offers real hope and progress toward diabetes prevention and a cure. Founded in 1898 by Elliott P. Joslin, M.D., Joslin is an independent, nonprofit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Joslin does not endorse products or services.
Joslin Diabetes Center’s High Hopes Fund supports the institutions efforts to improve the lives of people with diabetes—young and old—and to prevent and cure the disease.  Every gift, whether great or small, helps improve the lives of millions of people who have diabetes and the millions more who are at risk for the disease. The High Hopes Fund gives them—and their families—hope of a world without this disease.

# # #

If you are looking for full-campaign development and implementation, you just want to brainstorm or need an a la carte public relations service, A McK PR offers offer a multitude of options to meet your needs and budget.