UF to become first campus nationwide to observe World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14

November 3, 2008

With the blue lighting of several well-known campus locations, the University of Florida will become the first school in the nation to commemorate World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14.

“Two weeks ago this was just an idea and now we’re already starting to plan for 2009,” Kathryn Parker said. Parker is a patient and professional education coordinator for the UF/Shands Diabetes Center of Excellence.

The fountains near Tigert Hall, University Gallery and Cultural Plaza will be lighted in blue, as well as the Albert and Alberta statutes in the Emerson Alumni Hall courtyard, Ben Hill Griffin North End Zone and Century Tower on the evening of Nov. 14.

The color blue signifies the sky that unites all nations and is the color of the United Nations flag. The World Diabetes Day blue circle logo signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

Along with the lightings, several awareness events are planned for the tribute.

Free diabetes screenings will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Shands at UF atrium and the Reitz Student Union Colonnade. On Nov. 18, screenings will be held at the Living Well from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Century Tower. The carillon will ring and Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan, Dr. Desmond Schatz and Rep. Charles Chestnut IV will speak.

The first 200 attendees will receive a blue T-shirt and a small bottle of bubbles. After the short speeches, the audience will form a circle around Century Tower, symbolizing the World Diabetes Day logo. Once the tower is lit, the crowd will blow bubbles as symbols of hope to the 236 million people worldwide living with diabetes.

The final event will be a banquet at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the Reitz Student Union for students with diabetes. Students are encouraged to bring a friend. This event is free and open to the public. For more information about the banquet, visit http://www.healthygators.hhp.ufl.edu/index.shtml.

UF World Diabetes Day is sponsored by Diabetes Center of Excellence at Shands and UF, Healthy Gators 2010, the Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine at UF College of Medicine and Novo Nordisk.

“The lighting of the monuments is a symbol of hope, not only for The Gator Nation but for the world,” Parker said.