You know when you’re walking down the street and you see someone approach you with a clipboard and stack of stickers, so you pretend to answer your phone and look away? Well, this weekend, I had the clipboard! This past Sunday, a few friends and I teamed up to help out the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Walk To Cure Diabetes in Battery Park. Specifically, we set out to round up as many new JDRF advocates as we could. It was a little rough at first but once you get talking to a few people, you really find your groove. We heard some pretty touching stories from some amazing folks about their connections and relationships with those with diabetes. Personally, 3 out of my 4 grandparents carried the disease, but I have yet to encounter Juvenile Diabetes. I learned a lot about the disease (ie the difference between Type I and Type II) and, more importantly, about JDRF’s efforts to end it. A minute of your day and a signature is all we needed to spread the word and help the cause by generating government support for research. Interested in becoming an advocate or have a story to share? All you have to do is click here or text ACTION to 37420.

Me with fellow recruiters and friends, Dominique Vaughan and Alexi Melvin (Recruitment Coordinator).

We were hoping for a little musical accompaniment from one of the most famous JDRF advocates, Nick Jonas, but he wasn’t able to make it. The kids would have loved that! Instead, the walkers prepped with a party atmosphere all morning with Z100 DJ’s blasting hits from Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger,” my personal favorite, to Lady Gaga’s “Edge Of Glory.”

Our newest little advocate. We were recruiting all ages!

If helping a fantastic cause wasn’t sweet enough, Shore Fire was kind enough to make it even sweeter by giving me an extra vacation day for community service. Our company wants to promote giving back to the community every way possible. This is one thing that really sets us apart from other companies. The joy of lending a helping hand is fulfilling enough, but it’s definitely a nice bonus and incentive to get an extra day away from your desk to relax! Thank you, Shore Fire!