Country Music Star Teams up with JDRF to Inspire Kids With Diabetes and Raise Money for Research

NEW YORK, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of November's Diabetes Awareness Month and World Diabetes Day 2010 (November 14), George Canyon, country music recording artist and Nashville Star finalist, will release his current Canadian hit single, "I Believe in Angels" in the U.S. and offer a special gift – a free download of the song at www.georgecanyon.com/jdrfusa in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). A donation will be made to JDRF on behalf of each download through the month.  Canyon knows all too well what kids with diabetes go through; he has lived with the condition for 26 years.  

"When I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 14, I didn't really have anyone to look up to.  There wasn't anyone saying 'I'm living my dreams and I have diabetes,'" said Canyon.  "This song is about living your dreams and not letting anything stand in your way."

In Canada, the single "I Believe in Angels" has reached number five on the country music charts.

"George Canyon has not let type 1 diabetes get in the way of achieving his dreams of becoming a singer," said Claire Schultz, SVP of Marketing and Communications for JDRF.  "A long-time partner of our JDRF affiliate in Canada, we are pleased to have George Canyon reach audiences all over the U.S., and are grateful for support of JDRF."

Canyon will be joining JDRF chapters in New York, Los Angeles, Memphis and Nashville, giving inspirational talks and performances for children living with diabetes and their families.  

For more information about George Canyon visit www.georgecanyon.com and to receive a free download of "I Believe in Angels," visit www.georgecanyon.com/jdrfusa.  

This initiative is sponsored by Animas Corporation, makers of the OneTouch® Ping® Glucose Management System.  

About George Canyon

Canadian country superstar George Canyon has come a long way since he placed #2 in the second season of the popular TV show "Nashville Star". He has had numerous chart-topping songs and received many top awards for his music. The award he's most proud of is a humanitarian award from the Canadian Country Music Awards for his support of the Canadian troops and his work to aid the search for a cure for type 1 diabetes. George was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 14 and was told that he would never realize his dreams of flying an airplane for the military. Today he flies his own plane and is an Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Airforce. Canyon tirelessly tours Canada and the U.S. giving inspirational talks and performances for children stricken with type 1 and their families with the message to 'never give up on their dreams'.

About JDRF

JDRF is the leader in research into a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications.  It sets the global agenda for diabetes research, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of diabetes science worldwide.

The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.  Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly, and can be fatal.  Until a cure is found, people with type 1 diabetes have to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin injections multiple times or use a pump – each day, every day of their lives.  And even with that intensive care, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications, which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.

JDRF was founded in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes.  Last year, it funded more than $100 million in diabetes research, in more than 20 countries.  For more information, go to www.jdrf.org.

About type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting every organ system that strike children and adults suddenly, and lasts a lifetime.  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.  People with type 1 diabetes must take multiple injections of insulin daily or continuous infusion of insulin through a pump just to survive.  Taking insulin does not cure any type of diabetes nor prevent the possibility of its devastating effects: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputation, heart attack, and stroke.  Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is often diagnosed in adulthood in which a person's body still produces insulin but is unable to use it effectively.  There are approximately 3 million Americans living with type 1 diabetes, and more than 30,000 children and adults are diagnosed every year.

SOURCE JDRF