Dear
Friends,
I am so proud to say this was our 5th
year for Cityfeast: Dining Out to Conquer
Dia
betes and with your support and dedication we have raised
a total of $130,000.00! Our plan was to make this year’s event the
most memorable and beneficial event yet. We didn’t disappoint! First
of all I would like to say “Thank You” to the all participating
restaurants: Lucca, Prezza, Taranta, Tresca, and newly added Café
Graffitti for all your help and support over the years. We could not
have done it without you and I look forward to working with you
again next year!
I began Cityfeast to raise money for
the
Joslin Diabetes Center. As you know this cause is very near
and dear to my heart. Your participation in this year’s very
special event supports critical diabetes care, research and
education. Your involvement and commitment to this event has truly
made a difference. Cityfeast: Dining Out to Conquer Diabetes-to
benefit The High Hopes Fund at Joslin Diabetes Center was held here
in the North End, on Sunday, January 31, 2010. This exclusive event
has helped Joslin continue to impact the many lives of people with
diabetes like my son David. As always, I have been hosting the event
at my two restaurants, Terramia and Antico Forno. It is my way of
thanking and supporting the institution that cared for my son David
for the last 18 1/2 years that he has had
Type 1 diabetes.
On his first birthday, my son David
was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Now at age 19, he continues to
live with the ups and downs of his disease during these formative
years of adolescence. If I were to calculate how many shots and
finger sticks my son David already has had in his 18 ˝ years with
Diabetes, it would be a minimum of 33,762 shots and 40,515 finger
sticks. Needless to say, these are only the minor challenges that
come along with this disease. Our recent challenges have been trying
to keep the number of seizures to a minimum if none at all.
Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes men and women, young and old,
and forces lifelong disease management, and may cause serious, long
term complications.
It is also the people like you who
have bought tickets to this event year after year and have supported Cityfeast with generous donations that have made this event so
successful. I want to
“Thank You” for your support and continued
donations and I will be forever grateful to each and everyone. I
also will not stop and continue to raise money to cure this awful
disease which afflicts my son and so many young children as well.
Our goal this year was to raise as much money to support The
High Hopes Fund
which will help find a cure so one day my son David and millions
like him will be free from diabetes.
I would also like to thank Mayor
Thomas Menino and his wife Angela for attending this event from the
very first year and continue to do so every year. Also, Counselor
Sal Lamattina, Representative Aaron Michelwicz, Former Patriot and
sportscaster Steve Diosi of WEEI, and special guest this year
Shannon Allen whose husband Ray Allen plays for the
Boston Celtics.
Their son Walker was also diagnosed with diabetes at 18 months old
and Shannon and Ray work tirelessly to raise money as well for
Joslin.
Just about everyone will be touched
with diabetes in some way during their lifetime. Diabetes afflicts
24 million Americans and is the leading cause of
kidney disease, blindness,
heart disease, stroke and amputations. There is no cure. At
least 50 percent of Americans are at risk for this disease. Despite
these staggering statistics, there’s reason to be hopeful. Joslin
Diabetes Center has evolved to meet the ever-changing challenges of
diabetes amid the dynamic landscape of science, technology and
medicine. Joslin discovers, creates and distributes knew knowledge
about diabetes prevention and treatment options – expanding
worldwide efforts to combat this disease. The High Hopes Fund
generates critical resources to support these multi-dimensional
efforts-the ultimate beneficiaries of which are the millions of
children and adults who live with diabetes and the millions more at
risk for the disease. Joslin gives them high hopes for a world
without diabetes.
I look forward to working with the
participating restaurants again next year. I also ask everyone who
reads this article to consider coming to Cityfeast next year to
support this wonderful event that will raise critical money to find
a cure for my son and the millions more who are affected by
diabetes-together we can beat this disease.
Carla Agrippino Gomes
