Mashantucket Pequots’ golf tourney raises $25,000 for juvenile diabetes research

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. – The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has donated the proceeds of a golf tournament to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

A check for $25,000 was presented to the foundation at a special ceremony Dec. 21, 2006, at the tribe’s Lake of Isles golf course in North Stonington. Mary Kessler, executive director of the nonprofit foundation’s Greater New Haven Chapter, received the donation on the JDRF’s behalf. Tribal Treasurer Rodney Butler and Tribal Councilman Richard Sebastian also attended the event.

The JDRF is the leading international diabetes advocacy and research organization, with more than 100 chapters, branches and affiliates worldwide. The foundation has raised more than $1 billion for diabetes research, and committed to spending more than $100 million in fiscal year 2006 to support research relevant to its mission of finding a cure for diabetes and its complications.

The Mashantucket Pequots’ donation came from a first-time golf tournament, which the nation hosted specifically to help diabetes research. The tournament took place Oct. 23 at the Lake of Isles course.

The nation chose to donate to diabetes research because the disease is so prevalent among American Indians, said council member and treasurer Rodney Butler.

”We selected the diabetes foundation as the beneficiary of this first golf tournament because Native Americans are 2-1/2 times more likely to get diabetes than the average person. That tells us that we must build awareness in this community about diabetes and its debilitating symptoms. Many of our older adults have diabetes, and we understand how it can affect families, both Native and non-Native alike,” Butler said.

”This is going to change our kids’ lives,” Kessler said of the tribe’s donation.

All proceeds from the tournament will be used to fund research to find a cure for diabetes, Kessler said, noting that the tribe’s golf tournament was the most successful all year for the foundation, with the exception of the foundation’s own tournament.

”We’re just glad we could help. In the future we hope to bring in even more to support the research,” said Sebastian.