JANUARY 20, 2007
JDRF (JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION) WALK TO CURE DIABETES

The 15th annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes was held today at the Mall of America where over 18,000 walkers braved
the early morning hour to show their support. I walked on team "Cody's Courage," in support of 5-year-old Cody Theis, who was diagnosed w/ Type 1 diabetes at the age of 18 months old. Cody is the son of Tami & Kevin Theis (Tami was a fellow competitor as Mrs. Shakopee this past summer at the Mrs. MN America pageant). When I first met Tami, the first thing we talked about was her son's diabetes, and I was so impressed with her (incidentally, Tami was the Interview winner at Mrs. MN, which was no surprise to me considering how well-spoken she is...and this was her very first pageant!). It was also great to catch up with another fellow contestant, Shonna Ochu, who is just a doll! In addition to Cody, the Theis's have two daughters, 7-yr-old Amber (Miss MN in the National American Miss pageant), and nearly 3-yr-old Grace (who has Down Syndrome and this past July was diagnosed with AML leukemia). Amber recently created a wonderful foundation called One Sister's Love to honor her siblings, and I highly encourage you to visit her website click on the "One Sister's Love" link to show your support by purchasing a rhinestone pin (the proceeds go directly to JDRF and the Children's Oncology Group).










PHOTOS:
1) Tami, myself, and Shonna Ochu (both fellow contestants from the 2006 Mrs. MN America pageant)
2) "Cody's Courage" team photo
3) With T.C. Bear, the MN Twins baseball team mascot
4) With Tami and Amber Theis