Lilly Diabetes joins The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to pledge significant funding to "Type 1 Diabetes Camps Initiative"

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lilly Diabetes will commit nearly $1 million over the next three years in a joint effort with The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to promote greater access to care and resources and to inspire confidence for children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) through the Type 1 Diabetes Camps Initiative. The shared commitment is rooted in creating inclusive opportunities for members of this community and making camperships accessible for all children with T1D.

"Living with diabetes requires daily attention and commitment – often for the whole family – and type 1 diabetes affects individuals of all different genders, ethnicities, and financial backgrounds. We are proud to expand our partnership with Helmsley to provide inspiration, recognition and education to help people living with diabetes overcome the challenges of the condition, regardless of financial status," said Sarah Noel, director of U.S. Diabetes Advocacy and Professional Relations, Eli Lilly and Company. "Diabetes does not discriminate and can affect anyone. Lilly is continuously looking for ways to work with unique partners who share in the vision of making life better for more people. This collaboration bridges gaps in representation and expands diabetes camp opportunities to everyone who wants to pursue them."

Lilly and Helmsley are collaborating with New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity, to support the management of the Type 1 Diabetes Program's Diabetes Camps Initiative, which provides camperships along with capital and low-income recruitment funds to non-profit diabetes camping organizations nationwide serving low-income youth living with T1D. The goal of this collaboration is to provide camperships to low-income youth with T1D, many of whom would otherwise not be able to attend camp. The collaboration will also enable diabetes camps to adapt to the physical requirements of COVID-19 and better serve youth living with T1D via capital improvements. This effort is part of a greater commitment from Lilly to increase access, equity, and impact for the communities it serves.

"Seeing others who are like you is important, but we continue to face issues of representation within the diabetes space," said T1D advocate and Beyond Type 1 Community Manager Tiana Cooks. The former camp participant added, "Now, more than ever, creating broader access to camps is critical so that all youth have the opportunity to feel seen, heard, and included. I have and will continue to use my voice to fight for a more inclusive community, with the hope of empowering people of all cultures and backgrounds to speak up and share their stories too."

Lilly Diabetes has provided supplies, programs and resources to participating diabetes camps throughout the country for more than two decades. To learn more about the T1D Camps Initiative grant options currently available or to apply for a grant, please visit https://newventurefund.force.com/login.

About Diabetes
Approximately 34 million Americans¹ (just over 1 in 10) and an estimated 463 million adults worldwide² have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type internationally, accounting for an estimated 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases in the United States alone¹ and nearly 1.6 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, including about 187,000 children and adolescents.¹ Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body does not properly produce or use the hormone insulin.

About Lilly Diabetes
Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world's first commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research, collaboration and quality manufacturing we strive to make life better for people affected by diabetes and related conditions. We work to deliver breakthrough outcomes through innovative solutions—from medicines and technologies to support programs and more. For the latest updates, visit http://www.lillydiabetes.com/ or follow us on Twitter: @LillyDiabetes and Facebook: LillyDiabetesUS.

About Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY)
Lilly is a global health care leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at lilly.com and lilly.com/newsroom. P-LLY 

About the Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $3 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. The Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes Program is the one of the largest private foundation funders of T1D in the nation focused on understanding the disease, developing better treatments, and improving care and access. For more information on Helmsley and its programs, visit helmsleytrust.org.

09/2021 ©Lilly USA, LLC 2021. All rights reserved.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services; 2020.
2. International Diabetes Federation. IDF Diabetes Atlas, 9th edn. Brussels, Belgium: International Diabetes Federation, 2019. Available at: http://diabetesatlas.org.

Refer to: Becky Polston; becky.polston@lilly.com; 1-317-796-1028 (Media)

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