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We are Planning the 2013 Smash for a Cure®
That's right! After a break in 2012 we are hoping to come back in 2013 with the best Smash for a Cure® ever! We can't do this without your help though. We need volunteers to assist with planning the event. If you are interested in volunteering please contact us. Thanks for all your support and stay tuned for further updates.
NFL player John Chick's handling of diabetes inspires others
John Chick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders hauls down Avon Cobourne of the Montreal Alouettes in second-quarter action of the 2009 Grey Cup final between the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Calgary November 29, 2009.
Photograph by: Leah Hennel, Canwest News Service
Feel the fear -and do it anyway.
When motivational author Susan Jeffers coined that wildly popular phrase back in the late-1980s, John Chick was still in grade school.
Still, the boy not only embraced the philosophy, but also quickly embodied it.
"There were a lot of people who told me, No, that I wasn't going to become a professional athlete," says the imposing defensive end, who today checks in at six foot three and 250 pounds.
"It was a frightening time." Chick overcame not only his fears, but also an early diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.
A Saskatchewan Roughrider from 2007 to 2009, in his final year he was named CFL defensive player of the year. Today, he is with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.
Chick, who has for years spoken out about his disease and how he manages it, will be in town this evening for a free talk at 6: 30 at the Calgary Winter Club, 4611 14th St. N.W.
On Saturday at 11 a.m., he'll take part in opening ceremonies for Smash for a Cure, a fundraising event at Southcentre in support of diabetes research.
It's hard to imagine this hulk of an athlete being afraid of anything. Before he received his diagnosis, in fact, Chick was pretty fearless.
In his home town of Gillette, Wyo., he was a stellar athlete, doing everything from playing basketball and baseball to hurling the shot put.
"I watched sports on TV with my dad all the time," says the eldest of three athletic children. "I worshipped Michael Jordan, but eventually decided it was football I wanted to play seriously."
It was while on his way to a practice at age 14 that Chick, now 28, found himself feeling as fatigued as an old man.
The doctor who looked him over told the boy that had he made it to that practice, "I could have gone into a coma and died."
It was on that day he received the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.
Chick chose to ignore the wellmeaning adults who feared he might come to harm if he continued his rough-and-tumble plays on the field.
Managing his blood sugar with several shots of insulin each day, he managed to keep things under control for a while.
In his freshman year at Utah State, he drove home one day after practice and passed out at the steering wheel.
"My blood sugar went too low," he says, "I was going 70 km/h and I ran right into the back of another car."
Miraculously, neither he nor the other driver was hurt, despite totalling both vehicles.
"It was a huge eye-opener, that I needed to do a better job of managing my diabetes."
Chick was fitted with an integrated insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring system, which provides him insulin throughout the day depending on his body's needs.
"It made a huge difference in my life, like going from night to day," he says of the pump, a small device about the size of a deck of playing cards that attaches to his belt.
"I wear it all the time, when I'm home or playing on the field, and I've never broken it once."
It was while he was playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders that a representative from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Saskatchewan made a pitch.
"They asked me if I'd come out and speak to a group about my experiences," he says, chuckling at the memory. "I was terrified of public speaking."
It's not surprising, since public speaking has rated No. 1 on many a survey of things people most fear. Still, Chick felt the fear and did it anyway.
Four years later, he has clocked countless hours and miles speaking about his experiences to various groups across North America.
His audiences, often made up of child diabetics and their parents, listen with rapt attention as Chick, himself now a father of four, tells his inspiring story.
"They usually ask me what I eat, and they're pretty curious about the insulin pump," he says of his young questioners.
"You know, I don't think there's anything all that special about my particular story, but it's important for kids and adults to hear it from someone who is managing their diabetes in professional sport."
Despite departing Canada three years ago for the stateside pro league, Chick enjoys returning frequently to speak with and meet families of diabetic kids. He's also kept close ties with various Canadian organizations, serving their needs.
"I have a role to play in helping those who have doubts or questions about what they can be when they grow up," he says.
"Diabetes doesn't limit you, but you have to work a little harder for what you want."
vfortney@calgaryherald.com
The high cost of getting sick: Are you covered?
By Valerie Berenyi, Calgary Herald
Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald CALGARY, AB.: JUNE 21, 2011- Chris McGoey-Smith, who suffers from Type 1 diabetes and is shocked at his out of pocket expenses resulting from the chronic disease, Calgary Tuesday, June 21, 2011.
Photograph by: Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald
Learning he had Type 1 diabetes at age 20 was a shock, but Chris McGoey-Smith was equally stunned to discover how much it cost to manage his chronic illness.
“At first I was covered under my parents’ benefits, until age 21. Suddenly, I had to pay out of pocket $300 a month for supplies that aren’t covered — the insulin, needles and lancets — and that was a giant expense. It sucked,” says McGoey-Smith, now 23.
“I ended up bouncing my rent cheque that month.”
Canadians tend to be aware of the physical and emotional costs of getting sick but rarely think about the financial toll it exacts. We believe our universal health-care system will take care of all our needs.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t, especially if there are long-term health issues.
It’s a sobering reality to contemplate, particularly as chronic illness — heart disease, lung diseases, cancer and diabetes — has reached epidemic proportions around the globe. It now causes more deaths than all infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV and tuberculosis combined, the World Health Organization said in a report this spring.
To drill down to what this might mean to someone living in Alberta with a chronic disease, let’s look at diabetes.
In Alberta alone, an estimated 217,000 people were living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes in 2010. That figure is expected to soar over the next decade to 363,000, or 8.6 per cent of the province’s population.
An Albertan living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can expect to pay out of their own pocket from $1,000 to more than $10,000 a year for medically necessary items not covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan, says Danny Nykolaychuk, regional director, southern Alberta, Canadian Diabetes Association.
“One thing that leaps off the page are blood glucose strips. Those are paramount in helping people manage their diabetes well, to see if they have good blood glucose control,” says Nykolaychuk.
The strips cost about $1 each. A person with diabetes typically uses up to six a day, quickly adding up to about $180 a month, or more than $2,000 annually.
Then there’s medication. McGoey-Smith says AHCIP covers the cost of “cheap” insulin, “but the good insulin that your doctor tells you should be on, the most effective and long-lasting insulin that is taken once a day, is more expensive. It’s about $150 a month.”
If he used the medication paid for by AHCIP, he says he’d have to get up in the middle of the night to inject himself. As the owner of Rocky Mountain Computer Repair, McGoey-Smith now has a group insurance plan, which pays for long-lasting insulin.
But Nykolaychuk points out that many people don’t have or can’t afford extended health care coverage, either privately or through an employer. (See sidebar story below: Are you covered?)
McGoey-Smith is keen on getting an insulin pump, a medical device that mimics a healthy pancreas, supplying a steady dose of insulin to the body round the clock, which helps keep strict control of blood glucose levels. No multiple injections. And far fewer health complications from diabetes down the road.
But a pump typically costs $7,000 and must be replaced every four to five years. And the costs of the insulin infusions and test strips run about $250 to $350 a month, says Nykolaychuk.
McGoey-Smith says he received two quotes on a pump, but was told the supplies, insulin and test strips would cost a whopping $600 a month. Either way, the pump is not covered by AHCIP or McGoey-Smith’s extended health care plan (few plans do).
Provincial health plans in B.C., Saskatchewan, Ontario, Newfoundland and, soon, Manitoba already fund insulin pump programs.
“We are behind our neighbours,” says Nykolaychuk. “And Alberta is a have province. The government really needs to take a hard look at investing in a pump program.”
He cites figures from a report called Diabetes: Canada at the Tipping Point, which shows that 80 per cent of the cost of diabetes to the health-care system is due to complications of diabetes: heart attack, stroke, non-traumatic limb amputations, blindness, kidney failure, etc. Only 20 per cent of health-care costs are directly related to the actual disease diabetes itself.
In 2010, diabetes cost the Alberta health-care system $1.1 billion. That cost is forecast to increase by 43 per cent to $1.6 billion annually by 2020. “We’re saying to government: invest today for our future tomorrow,” says Nykolaychuk.
McGoey-Smith anticipates his own out-of-pocket costs will also continue to rise as he ages. Foot problems aren’t yet plaguing him as they would be with older diabetics, but his doctor has recommended twice-monthly massages as a preventive measure to improve his overall circulation. His extended health care plan covers $500 of massage a year, but “I typically get about double that.”
Other unforeseen costs: more frequent eye exams and missing work because a chronic illness often makes a person more vulnerable to illness.
“Before I got diagnosed I was sick maybe once a year. It was very rare. Now it seems that if I get the flu, instead of being back in three or four days, it’s like I’m out for a solid week or two. My immune system is more susceptible to that stuff.”
More sick days translate into loss of income, a heavy toll for a self-employed person like McGoey-Smith.
He’s focused on raising awareness and funds for diabetes, and last year started an event called Smash for the Cure. The second annual goes Saturday, June 25 at Southcentre Mall, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The funds raised go to support the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Camp Jean Nelson, an educational program in Kananaskis Country for kids ages eight to 15 living with diabetes.
“There’s lots of walks and runs for the cure and the people you get coming out to the event are all connected to the disease. I wanted to create something where everyone would just come and have a fun time and they would walk away having known about diabetes.”
Last year, the event raised $1,500. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the $1.1 billion spent on diabetes health care in Alberta in 2010, but every little bit counts when it comes to easing the financial burden faced by those with chronic illness.
Press Release
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release Internet RSS Feed version available at http://www.smashforacure.com/news
Smash for a Cure™ Charity Event
Downloadable PDF Click here (152KB)
Cure Diabetes by Bashing Pesky PCs, Printers, Cell Phones & More!
(Calgary. May 30, 2011). Stop Crashing! Start Smashing! Make your computer and faulty electronics crash for good! Smash for a Cure™—in support of The Canadian Diabetes Association’s Camp Jean Nelson—a camp for children with Type I diabetes—is hosting the “2011 Smash for a Cure™” on Saturday, June 25, 2011. Taking place at Southcentre Mall between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm. The public is invited to come enjoy this free family event.
Smashing Good Time!
Participants are asked to drop off their unwanted electronics to Southcentre Mall on June 25, 2011. E-Cycle will also be collecting items at all their city drop off locations. Any dangerous materials such as mercury, lead, glass, and batteries will be removed from computers prior to the event. We will be smashing old or broken computers and accessories (laptops, desktops, printers, keyboards, cell phones, etc) with a suggested donation. Items used to smash the computers will include: a hammer, a hockey stick, a golf club, a monkey wrench, a baseball bat, and a sledge hammer! Recycle Alberta has fully approved the event, and E-Cycle will be on site to recycle the carnage!
So much to do!
The event will include special appearances by the Sith Lord, Darth Vader and his Stormtrooper squad from the 501st Badlands Garrison with a possible face off from equally powerful entertainer Clark Robertson as “Don Cherry”. KOOL 101.5 FM has joined us as a media partner to promote this fun event and play some “Kool Music” day of the event!
Invitation to the Media
Members of the media are invited to partake in this event supporting Camp Jean Nelson and promoting electronics recycling. To request a Smash for a Cure interview with an event affiliate, please speak to:
Chris McGoey-Smith
Smash Director
P: 403-536-4236 ext 241
info@smashforacure.com
www.smashforacure.com
Click to Enlarge
More Smashing Sponsors!
We're excited to bring on board Ace Plumbing, Side-Splitting Productions Inc. and ECycle as event sponsors!
Meet The Eye Site, Our Latest Sponsor
Smash for a Cure is excited to team up with The Eye Site, our latest Smash Sponsor! The Eye Site offers fun and distinctive eyewear for fun people (like you)!
Welcome Kool 101.5 FM!
Smash is excited to partner up with KOOL 101.5 FM as a Media Sponsor. They'll be joining us on June 25 for the 2nd annual Smash for a Cure™. Visit their website at www.kool1015.ca.
2011 Smash for a Cure™ at Southcentre Mall!
Big news! We officially signed the papers and the 2011 Smash for a Cure™ will be at Southcentre Mall! This is a huge milestone as Southcentre is well busy - really busy! On a typical Saturday in June they see between 18,000-24,000 people - so this means the event is going to be larger than ever!
We have some great oppertunities for Sponsorship so feel free to contact us if you are interested.
Stay tuned for more info and updates. Our new website will launch Dec 2010 and it will have all the info.
The next Smash for a Cure™ is Saturday June 25, 2011 from 11am - 4pm at Southcentre Mall.
Smashing Pictures are on Facebook!
Smash for a Cure was a huge success! Check out our Facebook Page to see the pictures.
Smashing Hit on CityTV!
Wow was CityTV ever a Smashing Hit. Andy really pounded the heck out of that Vista computer, and Jill did some great destruction on the Mac Laptop!
Smash to be on City TV!
We have just gotten confirmation that Chris McGoey-Smith will be on Breakfast Television, on City TV to talk about Smash for a Cure™ on Friday June 25th at 8:35am! The hosts of BT will be smashing a computer on the air live, and Chris will be inviting people to come down and enjoy the event!
Less than 48 Hours to Go!
Wow Smash for a Cure™ is almost here!
A couple of new things:
- Our CityTV time has been confirmed - check us out tomorrow (Friday) at 8:35am!
- We have a new special surprise MC - Hockey Night in Canada fans you will NOT want to miss this!
- Ace Plumbing has announced a REALLY COOL prize, I am going to let that be a surprise as well, but I will say winning the prize would be "Golden Oppertunity"!
- The Canadian Diabetes Association has put out their Official Press Release. Read it HERE
- Weather is expected to be good, sunnny with little chance of rain.
Canadian Diabetes Association's Official Press Release
Read it here: http://www.diabetes.ca/about-us/media-releases-entry/smash-your-computer-and-help-support-diabetes/
Smash your computer and help support diabetes
Unique event in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association
Calgary, Alberta (June 23, 2010) – Not sure what to do with your old or broken laptop or desktop computer and accessories? Smash them! Join Smash for a Cure™ and help raise funds in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Camp Jean Nelson, a summer camp for children living with type 1 diabetes. You can also choose to support leading-edge diabetes research with a ‘pay per hit’ suggested donation.
“We’re looking forward to a fun-filled day with a BBQ, live entertainment, and a Kids Village,” says Chris McGoey-Smith, Event Organizer. “I live with type 1 diabetes and I know first-hand how the Association’s Camp Jean Nelson will help children and youth develop life-long skills, build new friendships, and become experts in self-managing their disease.”
Today, more than 3 million Canadians are living with diabetes and a further 6 million have prediabetes. Each and every day, another 480 Canadians are diagnosed with the disease. In fact, this summer alone, more than 43,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with diabetes and may see their life expectancy reduced by as much as 15 years.
Smash for a Cure™ is part of the Diabetes Summer Surge campaign which gives people an opportunity to take action in their community by hosting a fundraising event (real or virtual), supporting an existing event or making a personal donation all while spreading the word to friends and family.
“It’s great to be part of a unique event that supports the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Camp Jean Nelson and diabetes research while also diverting electronic materials from landfill,” states Danny Nykolaychuk, Regional Director, Southern Alberta, Canadian Diabetes Association. “We encourage everyone to make this summer count by raising awareness, raising money and having fun!”
Smash for a Cure™ takes place on Saturday, June 26 from 11 am – 4 pm at 3200 Glenmore Trail SE. The Electronics Recycling Association will recycle all destroyed devices from the event. For more information, visit SmashforaCure.com or call (403) 536-4236.
Visit diabetessummersurge.ca to find out ways you can host your very own real or virtual Diabetes Summer Surge event.
About the Canadian Diabetes Association
Across the country, the Canadian Diabetes Association is leading the fight against diabetes by helping people with diabetes live healthy lives while we work to find a cure. We are supported in our efforts by a community-based network of volunteers, employees, healthcare professionals, researchers and partners. By providing education and services, advocating on behalf of people with diabetes, supporting research and translating research into practical applications - we are delivering on our mission. Visit diabetes.ca for more information.
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For more information, please contact:
Sherry Calder
Canadian Diabetes Association
Tel: (902) 453-3529
sherry.calder@diabetes.ca
Chris McGoey-Smith
Smash for a Cure
Tel: (403) 536-4236 x241
info@smashforacure.com
Calgary Stampeders Coming to Smash!
We just got word that the Calgary Stampeders are coming out to Smash for a Cure™ to come destroy some computers too!
Tasty Food at Smash!
Food lover's everywhere rejoice! We have confirmed our 2010 food Vendors, and have a great selection this year. There will be Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito, Little Caesars and Sugar Creek Kettle Corn!
From Extreme Pita we will see diabetic-friendly healthy options, pitas with fresh veggies that are yummy! Little Caesar's will be there for the pizza-lovers, and Sugar Creek kettle Corn for anyone that is looking for some amazing popcorn or candy floss! Dairy Queen is open all day during Smash and will be featuring 99c hamburgers along with other ice cream treats!
So tell your friends and family to come out for some great food, and to watch the Smashing Action!
Smash to be on Global TV!
We have just gotten confirmation that Global TV will be featuring Smash for a Cure™ on the Saturday Morning Show! Chris McGoey-Smith will be on the program, smashing a computer live on TV, and inviting people out to the event!
This is a great, as the more people we can have out the more money we can raise for Camp Jean Nelson, and the Canadian Diabetes Association!
Radio Stations Give Smash Some Love!
Well it looks like the radio stations are starting to pickup Smash for a Cure™. AMP Radio DJ Buzz Bishop has agreed to promote the event on air, and Jack FM will be attending with their Jack Street Punks giving out prizes and leting you enter to win some cool swag! We might also have a visit from the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation with some cool eco-friendly prizing - Norway Spruce Tree Kits, Bottled Water, and More!
A MESSAGE FROM MAYOR DAVE BRONCONNIER
On behalf of Council, and all Calgarians, I am delighted to encourage the public to participate in a truly unusual family event and fundraiser on June 26, the 2010 Smash for a Cure™.
Smash pairs two important community causes: it raises funds to support the Canadian Diabetes Association, and it raises awareness about the importance of electronics recycling.
Several generous public and private sector organizations have contributed resources to help stage the event. And, in true Calgary tradition, much of the work will be done by volunteers.
Congratulations to the organizers of Smash for a Cure™. And to everyone who`s ever wanted to take a sledgehammer to a disobedient computer, this is your chance!
Dave Bronconnier
MAYOR
Electronics Recycling Association Joins Us!
Smash for a Cure™ is proud to partner up with the Electronics Recycling Association!
The ERA is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing electronic waste through the reuse and recycling of unwanted computers and related electronic equipment.
It is the ERA's vision to foster a better community by reducing electronic waste and enabling the non-profit sector achieve excellence by providing for their IT needs through the donation of computers.
Their mission is to reduce electronic waste and the negative impact it has on our environment. They reuse unwanted computers and related electronic equipment through recovery and refurbishment.
The ERA also recycles refurbished computers and equipment through donation to charities and non-profit community organizations.
They reduce and prevent unwanted computers and related electronic equipment from ending up in landfill or being prematurely disposed of or recycled when someone else can still use them;l Reuse and maximize the lifecycle of computers and related electronic equipment by recovering and refurbishing them to donate to charities and other non-profit organizations at no cost; Recycle and ensure all materials not suitable for donation, are appropriately recycled in a responsible and environmentally friendly way.
To learn more about the ERA, please visit their website era.ca
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