UA President Judy Bonner and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox will be pinned at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, to continue the campaign.
The campaign, which is sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Diabetes Coalition and the Diabetes Education Team, “pins” notable Tuscaloosa and UA community members with a blue circle, the international sign for diabetes. Other community members who were pinned include Jason Hoff, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA; Shane Sharpe, dean of the Honors College; Rick Streiffer, dean of the College of Community Health Sciences; and Steven Hood, interim vice president of student affairs.
Alex Morris, a senior majoring in music performance and biology and the president of DiET, helped pin Saban.
“The pinning of Nick Saban was a tremendous way for DiET to kick off National Diabetes Month and our awareness campaign for World Diabetes Day,” he said. “Coach Saban has a current player and an assistant coach with type 1 diabetes, illustrating that diabetes is a disease that truly affects us all at one point or another. We are delighted that Coach Saban has chosen to show his support for diabetes awareness and hope others will follow his example in committing to fighting the diabetes crisis in Alabama.”
Morris said DiET plans to expand campus involvement for World Diabetes Day. The World Health Organization and the U.N. chose Nov. 14 as World Diabetes Day because it was the day Frederick Banting, the inventor of insulin, was born.
“We are a student organization whose mission is to provide diabetes-centered health education and information to underserved areas of Alabama,” Morris said. “In addition to the ‘Pin a Personality’ campaign, we will also have fact signs and fliers up around campus and on the digital signs around campus to raise awareness.”
“The act of simply listening to diabetics as they share their daily struggles and triumphs is perhaps the most important thing we do as an organization,” said Ruth Bishop, a junior majoring in biology and Spanish and a member of DiET. “It is so important to reassure diabetics that they are not merely one in 10; rather, they are mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers who are part of a community. And as a member of the same community, we need to do our part to educate and encourage diabetics to better their lifestyles.”
On Friday, DiET will have a table set up at the Ferguson Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with giveaways and diabetes awareness items. Big Al will also make an appearance. On Saturday, DiET will hand out gameday stickers on the Quad for the Mississippi State game.
