Pictured from left to right is Avery Taylor, Type 1 Diabetes Patient, Strides Committee Assistant Chair; Scherrie Hargett, Strides Committee Member, Greenville, NC  Zeta Pi Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Type 2 Diabetes Patient; Sharon Axelberg, STRIDES Committee Chair, Type 1 Diabetes Patient, Etosha Kiah and Tezra Parker-Egleton, Greenville, NC  Zeta Pi Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. members. Submitted photo.

STRIDES is an initiative sponsored by International Lions in countries all over the world. Each Lions Club or a community of clubs can host events or do fundraisers for diabetes awareness. It’s the local club(s) choice how to use the funds as long as it’s for diabetes expenses, research or awareness. Our club decided in 2016 when we joined the effort, that our communities in Lenoir and Greene Counties could use this money locally. We have a very high population of diabetes patients. Diabetes is a very expensive disease. Therefore, the first committee thought it best to keep her and use to help others in Eastern North Carolina.

Kinston Host Lions Club STRIDES event raises awareness in our community by hosting with our partners, Food Farm (The Original Piggly Wiggly), Kinston Community Center, Lions Industries for the Blind, Inc., Ram Neuse Lions Club, UNC-Lenoir Healthcare and West Without Borders an annual Rockin- Walk-A-Thon which includes two hours of fun and diabetes awareness. UNC-Lenoir brings staff who share nutritional information, risk factors and more so those at risk can be accessed and referred to a physician for help and current diabetes patients can get questions answered. 

Food Farm’s Pig is joined by Down East Wood Duck’s DEWD, Chick-fil-A’s Doodles, BoJangles Big Bo for a fun morning with the kids and adults walking, rocking and interacting and sharing promotional items. The two Lions clubs, Kinston Host and Ram Neuse share Lions news and events with the public, Lions Industries and West Without Borders both have teams participating in the event. They all show up and work together to raise money for Camp Needles in the Pines scholarships. 

Camp Needles is a children’s diabetes camp in Beaufort County that houses 80 juvenile diabetes patients learn to manage their disease and realize they are just like any other kid, because for that one week, they are. CNIP helps so many children living with diabetes to get a better jump on the disease and be able to manage it better during their lives. We also give debit cards to the school nurses as needed to purchase supplies for their diabetes patients. 

Added to that list, we also give $200 scholarships twice a year to diabetes patients who qualify.  They can pick up forms at Lions Industries for the Blind at 4126 Berkeley Ave., Kinston, NC  28504 or they can call 252-523-1019 and ask for Avery or Sharon. These scholarships must be used for the medical needs of the patients. 

If they’ve already purchased the items, supplies, we will reimburse them. If they have had medical attention, they are unable to pay for, we can pay the provider directly. The scholarship program is up to $200 each application. The applicant may apply anytime after 6 months after the prior application. We fund the applications year-round as long as we have the funds available.  We know this isn’t much, but spread out over many people, hopefully, it will make a difference.

Our name is Lions Making “STRIDES” 2 Fight Diabetes. We began 4 years ago, but our first event was postponed by the flooding from Hurricane Michael. We rescheduled until March 2017. To date, we’ve raised more than $70,000 to aid our community in the fight against diabetes. Hopefully, when Kinston Community Center reopens, we can get our event on the calendar for this summer.

We want to say “Thank you” to Greenville, NC  Zeta Pi Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. for their generous donation of low boxes to our organization. If you don’t know what a low box is:  It is a container filled with glucose tablets, juice, snacks, etc. that will quickly elevate the glucose levels in a patient’s system and maintain them. 

Some foods, drinks will make the glucose levels spike and then shoot back down. When a patient’s glucose levels drop, the patient can become weak, feel confused and anxious and may pass out. While conscience, the low box is a good tool to help them regain their ideal glucose levels and keep them from having to look/hunt for what they need. Again, thanks to Sigma Gamma Rho, Greenville Chapter, for helping us in this wonderful way. These boxes will benefit so many.