Big Blue Test 2011 Provides Life-Saving Insulin and Supplies to More Than 8,000 People in Need

BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Diabetes Hands Foundation announced today the donation of $75,000 to six diabetes charities that help people with diabetes in need in the United States and Latin America. The money was raised through a grassroots online diabetes awareness campaign called Big Blue Test, supported by Roche Diabetes Care.

The Big Blue Test takes place every November leading up to World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14. The campaign reinforces the importance of exercise in managing diabetes. Through Big Blue Test, Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) called on people with diabetes to test their blood sugar, get active for 14 minutes or more, test again, and share the results at Bigbluetest.org.

The website aggregated all of the data collected live. In the last three years, exercise decreased participants' blood sugar level between 15 and 20 percent.

For the second year, the Big Blue Test program sponsor was Roche Diabetes Care. Each entry in Bigbluetest.org, up to the first 8,000 participants, resulted in a donation from Roche Diabetes Care that will directly benefit approximately 8,000 people with diabetes in need.

Roche's support enabled DHF to provide critical funding to six nonprofit organizations. Five of those nonprofits are focused on helping underserved areas with a high incidence of diabetes in the United States. An additional grant will support the International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child Programme for the organization's work in Latin America. As a result of reaching 8,000 entries in the Big Blue Test, Diabetes Hands Foundation granted the following:

• $25,000 to International Diabetes Federation's Life For a Child program.
• $10,000 to Moundville Medical Clinic, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
• $10,000 to LIFT For Teens/Walk and Play For Wellness in San Rafael, California
• $10,000 to University of Colorado Denver
• $10,000 to St. Anthony Medical Clinic, St. Anthony Foundation in San Francisco, California
• $10,000 to Pecos Valley Medical Center, Inc. Pecos, New Mexico

"Because of these six extraordinary charities, thousands of people will have the insulin, supplies and care they need to survive," said Manny Hernandez, founder of TuDiabetes and President of the Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF).  "I am honored and humbled for DHF and the partners that helped us in the Big Blue Test to have a role in something so important."

The diabetes online community, other diabetes nonprofits, research institutions and clinics, and many other partners participated in full force, turning in a little over 4,000 entries (twice as many participants with diabetes as in 2010). Friends and family of people with diabetes helped bring the number of entries up to 8,000 with their participation.

DHF will also share the anonymized results submitted by people with diabetes with two academic research groups, to help analyze the data and learn more from The Big Blue Test. For more details, visit www.BigBlueTest.org.

About the Diabetes Hands Foundation

The Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that connects people touched by diabetes and raises diabetes awareness such as the Big Blue Test. Through its online communities (TuDiabetes.org in English, EsTuDiabetes.org in Spanish) and its other social media channels, DHF offers support and information to nearly 200,000 people every month.

About the Big Blue Test

The Big Blue Test started in 2009 as a creative way to encourage people with diabetes to stay active. It has grown into a global, viral campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of exercise for people with diabetes and help support diabetes charities in the process. It is a program organized by the Diabetes Hands Foundation, in collaboration with DiabetesDaily.com, DiabetesStories.com and the Psychology and Educational Sciences Department of the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

About Roche Diabetes Care

Roche Diabetes Care is a pioneer in the development of blood glucose monitoring systems and a global leader for diabetes management systems and services. For more than 30 years, Roche has been committed to helping people with diabetes live lives that are as normal and active as possible and has been helping healthcare professionals manage their patients' condition in an optimal way. Today, the ACCU-CHEK portfolio offers people with diabetes and healthcare professionals innovative products, services and comprehensive solutions for convenient, efficient and effective diabetes managementÑfrom blood glucose monitoring through information management to insulin delivery. The ACCU-CHEK brand encompasses blood glucose meters, infusion pumps, lancing and data management systems. For more information, please visit accu-chek.com.

Contact
Manny Hernandez
President, Diabetes Hands Foundation
[email protected]  
510-898-1301

SOURCE Diabetes Hands Foundation