2011 Wrap-Up

Happy Belated Easter to everyone! I've been so excited to share some of these images, but I know a lot of these parents were wanting to send out the Easter cards before their friends and family saw the images online!

We had a fantastic two days! Of course, New Covenant Preschool was busy and lots of fun as kids stopped in before school to get their photos taken and to meet our newest friends and Imagination Avenue was quite the hit this year! The kids had a blast being able to meet the bunny and chicks and spend the day playing in all the kid-size storefronts!

We had our most successful year to date! With 56 total kids and 32 families, we were able to raise a grand total of $1600!!!! I know the Phoenix Chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is thrilled with all of your support! Over the past three years, we have been able to raise a total of $3800 for local charities! I am so proud of all of these great families coming out to support local kids in need.

Remember to check back next year for our locations, time, and charity! If you have a charity or location that you would like to recommend, please feel free to leave a comment or contact Jen or Marnee! We would love to hear your suggestions!

Better and Better

Yes, each year just gets better and better! A big thank you to all those who came out to support JDRF and meet our cute little friends. We had a blast and "Snowy" the bunny was a huge hit! We will be posting images soon, but for now, enjoy this sneak peak...

Sierra's Story

It seems like yesterday when my whole life changed, but really I can’t even remember that time. It was March 25, 2000, that I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I was four years old and the only thing I can remember from the whole experience is the hospital and shots! A lot of shots. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have to worry about my blood sugar or what I was eating and I can’t ever remember what it was like to not have a needle with me 24/7. So here I am today, 15 years old, and all I know is that I have had diabetes my whole life, or so it seems.


I am very lucky, I have done both shots and worn an insulin pump. An insulin pump does not take away the 10-15 finger pokes I do everyday, but it takes away 3-5 shots a day. It works really well and I am grateful for modern technology. Shots are a little more stressful, you have to give yourself insulin every time you eat and then at bed and do all the finger pokes to check your levels. The pump, insulin, and injections are great; however, they are not a cure. I worry about heart and kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, and amputation. More than that my family and I worry that my blood sugar might go low and I will have a seizure or that my blood sugar might go high and I could slip into a coma. I spend more time in the Doctor’s office than the average teenager, having tests done, making sure I am in good health (because I get sick more often than others and stay sick for longer periods of time) and changing my daily regimen as I grow and get older. I am thankful to Dr. Swinyard who has taken care of me since that Saturday morning when I was taken to the hospital with my diagnosis.


Diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting every organ system. There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. Staggering statistics show that nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes (8.3 percent of the population) and in the U.S., a new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 30 seconds; more than 1.9 million people are diagnosed each year.


Diabetes kills one American every three minutes and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Life expectancy for people with diabetes has historically been shortened by an average of seven to 10 years, and the risk of death for people with diabetes is about double that of people of similar age without diabetes.


I am part of that statistic and your support will enable a better future for myself and others living with this disease. I watch others get diagnosed and I watch families go through what my family has gone through and would love to find a cure for diabetes. THANK YOU for taking the time to learn more about Type 1 diabetes and the millions of people it effects each year.


XO!

Sierra

2011 Dates

We are so excited to be working on our third annual SPRING FOR CHARITY event! This year, we asked our clients to suggest a charity they feel passionate about and it. It was hard to choose just one, as there are so many great causes out there, but this year we decided to go with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In the next few days, we will be sharing some more information about this cause and why it is so important to raise awareness about juvenile diabetes.

For now, please make note of our two days and locations:

THURSDAY, MARCH 31 from 8:30 - 10:30am

at NEW COVENANT PRESCHOOL (same location as one of the events last year).
15152 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd (101 and FLW)
Scottsdale, AZ 85260


FRIDAY, APRIL 1 from 9:30 - 12:00 and 3:30 - 5:30

at IMAGINATION AVENUE
10614 N. 32nd Street (Basically the 51 and Shea)
Phoenix, AZ 85028


We are so excited to be working with these wonderful locations! As an added bonus, Imagination Avenue is waiving their normal entrance fee for all participants of the Spring for Charity Event this year!!!! So, if you have not checked out this great indoor play place, now is your chance!

Once again this year, Spring for Charity is a $75. Your mini session with include baby chicks and new this year... a BUNNY!!!!! You will also receive an 8x12 wall portrait and a $50 donation will be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

As always, we will have options to purchase custom Easter Cards, poster prints, or gift print packages at the time of the event.

Our hours are more limited this year, so please don't wait to call and sign up! 480.473.8334 or email Marnee at marnee@marriottphoto.com.

Thanks!