Sam Seriously Sweating: A Hard Way to Raise Money

Andrew Benzinger, 4,
Type-1 Diabetic

If you would like to donate to help find a cure for type-1 diabetes please click HERE! 

(This single click takes you to my fund-raising page.  There, click again on "donate to this event."  Then click "Biking and Painting for Diabetes."

Today I wanted to mention a few individuals who spent the last week lugging boxes and moving donated furniture for the First Annual Oakley Masonic Lodge Rummage Sale, all profits to go to JDRF.

Many years ago, Sam Benzinger was a young man in my history class.  Today he's a grandfather with a grandson, Andrew, 4, with type-1 diabetes.  I think Sam would admit he used to be a hell-raiser when he was a boy (not that I ever had to give him any punishments, no matter what he might try to tell you today).  Now Mr. Benzinger is a fund raiser, involved in all kinds of great charity causes.  He and his girlfriend, Samantha Tipton, seem to look out for every human being with a problem they can possibly find; and I'm honored to know them.

This past weekend, when it was broiling hot, they were sitting under a tent awning, counting up $1,000 that will go towards a JDRF donation.  They had other help, too.  Samantha's son and girlfriend were there, both still smiling, but sweating.  So was Jason Durbin, age 33, a type-1 diabetic and family man himself.

Jason and Evan Durbin

Jason takes good care of his disease; but he wants to be there to see his young son Evan graduate from college, get married and start his own family, then see his own grand children.  So we need to find a cure for this lifetime disease.

There's no way of knowing when that's going to come or what advances we will see in the medical field.  But I know a few people who were working last week to raise money and make that dream come true sooner rather than later.

I think bicycling to raise money is easy, compared to raising a young son and dealing with your diabetes issues while you do it.  So hats off to Jason.  And I have a suspiscion you'll see Sam and Samantha hard at work next year again.





Sam and Samantha like to do Renaissance Fairs and there befriended a young lady in a wheelchair.
You'll be happy to know they I.D.ed in the 1400s, too.