Sen. Byron Dorgan to be honored( Grand Forks North Dakota July 2 2008...)

Grand Forks, North Dakota, July 2, 2008 Volunteers representing the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF), the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will present Senator Byron Dorgan with the 2008 Congressional Leadership Award for his leadership on extending the Special Diabetes Program (SDP) in Congress. The meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the Buchli Room at the Hilton Garden Inn in Grand Forks.

The SDP includes two programs the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes Research which funds type 1 diabetes research through the NIH, and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) which funds prevention, treatment and education programs for Native Americans with type 2 diabetes through the Indian Health Service. Both programs have demonstrated a real return on the federal investment and are transforming the lives of people with diabetes.

"The Special Type 1 Diabetes Research Program is accelerating our effort to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. There are now over 60,000 people across the country involved in clinical research directly supported by this important program, and the program is leading to the development of new technologies and therapies that are changing lives today." said Larry Soler, VP for Government Relations at the JDRF. "I am pleased that Senator Dorgan is being recognized today for his efforts in Congress to ensure that this critical program continues."

"Federal funding for programs such as SDPI has given Indian health programs and Tribal communities the resources and the tools they need to both prevent and treat diabetes," said Yvette Roubideaux, MD, MPH, Chair of the Awakening the Spirit program, American Diabetes Association. "It funds 66 prevention demonstration projects and over 300 community directed programs, allowing local Tribes and health programs to set priorities that meet the needs of their people, whether it b
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