Diabetes Hands Foundation Wins Two Telly Awards

BERKELEY, Calif., May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) announced today that it is the recipient of two Telly Awards for the diabetes awareness video Big Blue Test (BigBlueTest.org).

"We are proud and thrilled that our grassroots online video effort to raise awareness of diabetes has earned this recognition," said Manny Hernandez, president of the Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) and founder of TuDiabetes.org, a social network of people touched by diabetes.

DHF received a 2011 Silver Telly Award, the competition's highest honor, for Online Programs in the Social Issues category for the Big Blue Test video. The organization was also awarded a bronze prize for the Health and Wellness category.

The 2010 Big Blue Test video was produced by DHF in collaboration with David Edelman of Diabetes Daily (http://diabetesdaily.com) and Riva Greenberg of Diabetes Stories (http://diabetesstories.com). The video was directed and edited by Sean Ross (http://ethosphane.com). Roche Diabetes Care helped fund the initiative.

The video promoted the 2010 Big Blue Test, an awareness campaign to encourage exercise for those with diabetes. In conjunction with World Diabetes Day on November 14, DHF invited people with diabetes to test their blood sugar, do 14 minutes of activity, test again and share the results. The video was translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French and German, expanding the number of people who could watch it, understand the message and share it. Diabetes continues to be poorly understood by the general population. The Big Blue Test video helped increase public awareness and engaged viewers in a positive learning experience.

The video, which is less than 2 minutes long, features children and adults who have diabetes skating, running, swimming, dancing and cycling. "The Big Blue Test and the video message resonated with people," said Riva Greenberg, writer and collaborator on the content development of the winning production. "We aimed to make people aware of the importance of activity in managing diabetes, and help children in need of everyday supplies to live."

Roche Diabetes Care committed to make a donation of 75 cents, up to $75,000, to diabetes-related charities for every viewing of the Big Blue Test video. The video went viral and was viewed over 130,000 times.

The 32nd Annual Telly Awards competition received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries. Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

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 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 management—from 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: Michele Huie
Phone: (858) 539-6788 / [email protected]

SOURCE Diabetes Hands Foundation