Team Type 1 Foundation Awards 91 “Global Ambassador” Scholarships to Collegiate Athletes with Type 1 Diabetes
Program more than triples number of annual scholarships awarded since inception
(ATLANTA, GA) – The Team Type 1 Foundation, a nonprofit organization pursuing a global mission of education, empowerment and equal access to medicine for everyone affected by diabetes, has awarded scholarships totaling $120,000 to 91 collegiate athletes as part of its Global Ambassador Program. Established in 2014, the program recognizes college students with type 1 diabetes who are using their sport as a platform to inspire. The Foundation’s 2016 commitment means that in just three years, Team Type 1 will have given 171 college scholarships to athletes with type 1 diabetes, and more than tripled the 24 scholarships awarded in year one.
For the 2016-17 academic year, the Foundation will fund five $5,000 and six $2,500 scholarships, with an additional 80 student athletes receiving awards of $1,000.
The recipients of the Global Ambassador $5,000 scholarships include:
• Hunter Sego, Madison, IN (football, DePauw University)
• Daymon Blackport, London, ON (soccer, Eastern Illinois University)
• Peninah Benjamin, Largo, FL (sailing, Dartmouth College)
• Peter Degnan, Brielle, NJ (lacrosse, Moravian College)
• Will Bridgeman, Columbia, IN (soccer, Hanover College)
“This year’s recipients are a remarkable group of young people, all of whom have a desire to leverage their athletic gifts to empower others living with diabetes,” said Team Type 1 Founder and President Phil Southerland. “Death by diabetes is still a prognosis in many parts of the world, and we are challenging these athletes to be a part of our team to tackle that problem. The Global Ambassadors are vehicles of hope and proof that people with diabetes can not only survive, but live healthy, extraordinary lives.”
The Global Ambassador Program is the Foundation’s cornerstone initiative in the U.S. and was established in 2014 to help students and their families offset the cost of diabetes care, which can average an additional $300-$500 per month. The students selected will be integrated into the Foundation’s outreach activities and participate in numerous diabetes conferences, diabetes camps, clinics and educational events throughout the year.
Ambassadors will also help increase awareness about Team Type 1’s mission in developing countries where access to diabetes management tools is limited. “In Rwanda, the Foundation has contributed more than $3 million in medical supplies and support, a model it hopes to replicate in other countries around the world”, said Team Type 1 Program Director Dr. Biljana Southerland.
The Global Ambassador Program is generously supported by the Tina and Richard V Carolan Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit supporting cancer research and humanitarian relief, and Curant Health, one of the fastest growing healthcare companies in the nation providing home medication management services to patients living with chronic diseases.
Scholarship recipients were selected based on a number of eligibility factors, including grade point average, athletic achievement, personal story, financial needs and community service. For more information on the Global Ambassador Scholarship Program, please visit: http://teamtype1.org/gasp/
ABOUT TEAM TYPE 1 FOUNDATION
Established in 2005, the Team Type 1 Foundation is a nonprofit organization pursuing a mission of education, empowerment and equal access to medicine for everyone affected by diabetes. Collaborating with governments, healthcare professionals, diabetes experts and individuals living with diabetes around the world, the Team Type 1 Foundation is bridging the gap to access and education through sustainable and economically viable solutions. For more information, visit: www.teamtype1.org.
ABOUT PHIL SOUTHERLAND
Phil Southerland is the CEO and co-founder of Team Novo Nordisk and Founder and President of Team Type 1 Foundation. Team Novo Nordisk is a global sports organization home to more than 100 endurance athletes with diabetes, spearheaded by the worlds’ first all-diabetes professional cycling team. Southerland was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just seven months old and doctors told his mother he was unlikely to live past the age of 25. Now 34, Southerland is a diabetes ambassador and thought leader, educating and empowering people throughout the world and driving a movement to redefine the boundaries for those living with diabetes. He is also the author of the book “Not Dead Yet,” which chronicles his life from early diagnosis to his mission to change the face of diabetes on a global scale.
