Oct. 26 - JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION WALK GALLERY

Oct. 28, 2008

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Several USD athletes were involved in the local community this past month as several teams helped raise money for Leukemia, as well as cancer.

USD participated in the Light the Night event which is an annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society event to raise funds for cures. Friday, October 24, 2008 at Qualcomm stadium, the University of San Diego's Athletic Department paid tribute to thousands of patients and their families. More than 150 USD athletes, coaches and staff members walked and carried illuminated red balloons, survivors carried white balloons, and gold balloons were carried in memory of loved ones lost.

Funds raised through Light The Night Walks support the work of hundreds of the world's best and brightest researchers in their search for better therapies and cures for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Our own Tom Hagedorn, a survivor of Leukemia, was an Honored Hero for this event.

"Light The Night" was our night to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by cancer.

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the 15th-ranked University of San Diego women's volleyball team hosted `Dig for the Cure' against Loyola Marymount in a West Coast Conference match Saturday afternoon at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. In addition to winning their fourth consecutive match, the team collected donations to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research. All proceeds benefited the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The USD Athletic Department and a number of their teams laced up their sneakers and headed to UCSD on Sunday, October 26th,to support and participate the JDRF 5K Walk to Cure Diabetes. Ky Snyder, Executive Director of Athletics at the University of San Diego, was Corporate Co-Chair of the event.

JDRF, the leading charitable fundraiser and advocate of type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide, was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with juvenile diabetes - a disease which strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin-dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. Since inception, JDRF has provided more than $1 billion in direct funding to diabetes research. More than 85 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and research-related education. JDRF's mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.

After returning to the water in full force, the Torero women's rowing team began their 2008 non-traditional fall racing season at home with San Diego's Row for the Cure regatta on October 26 at Mission Bay. All proceeds went to support the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation.

The USD women's and men's basketball teams participated in the Making Strides Walk to help raise money for the fight against breast cancer. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society's premier event to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. But it's more than just the name of a walk - it describes the amazing progress we're making together to defeat this disease. Since 1993, 4 million walkers have raised more than $280 million through Making Strides. In 2007 alone, nearly 500,000 walkers across the country collected more than $50 million to help fight breast cancer.