Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It's that time of the year where we begin planning for a great event that is near and dear to my heart, cycling in the 100 mile American Diabetes Association's Annual Tour de Cure fund-raising event in Alton, IL.  I am especially committed to this year?s ride and finding cure for diabetes.  As those of you who know me, I struggle with diabetes and as I get older it gets more difficult and a constant battle.  Thanks to your generosity our team while small has raised more than $50,000 over the past five years.  This year our team is being challenged to ?raise the bar? to become one of the top national teams fighting diabetes.  With your help we are up to the challenge of becoming one of the top teams in the nation.

Every cyclist has their own reason for riding in The Tour De Cure that drives them to that 100 mile finish line. Many have a family member or other loved one with diabetes, or some have diabetes themselves. What is my reason? I have had several members of my family, including my brother and mother as well as other loved ones fight diabetes and its long list of side effects, but one of the driving factors is my own battle with diabetes. When I was diagnosed with diabetes; it scared the hell out of me. I had to make immediate changes in my life with the goal of controlling this dreadful disease and not letting it control me.  I?m one of the lucky ones others are not so lucky. I have had the opportunity to meet many diabetes patients, those in the beginning stages and those in complete kidney failure relying on dialysis treatments to keep them alive. It opened my eyes to how widespread this disease is and how many different people both young and old, of all races and backgrounds are affected, I did not want that to be me.

Diabetes does not discriminate among its sufferers. Through participating in this race, we hope to honor the memories of those we have lost, raise awareness, and raise money to aid in furthering scientific research and advocacy campaigns. I am asking you to help by supporting my fund-raising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of the 20.8 million Americans who suffer from diabetes and the 40 million people in the United States with pre-diabetes. It's fast and easy to support this great cause - you can make your donation online by simply clicking the link at the bottom of this message, or you can contact me to schedule a time to drop off a check or cash donation. If you want to do even more to help, please consider joining in this great event. Our efforts will help set the pace in the fight against diabetes. Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight against this deadly disease. Together, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of the Americans who suffer from this life-threatening disease.

I sincerely hope that you will sponsor the ride, and assist me in meeting my 2013 race goal of $15,000.00. I really appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

Wishing you the best of health,

J Glasgow