North Buffalo Resident Races For A Cure

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North Buffalo Resident Races For A Cure

Eric Ortner
North Buffalo Rocket

Melissa Anderson and Janie Edwards finish up their eight mile run around Delaware Park on Saturday, March 25. photo: Eric Ortner

March 2000: A North Buffalo resident is going the extra mile to help the American Diabetes Association. Actually, Melissa Anderson is going an extra 26.2 miles as she plans to run a marathon with Team Diabetes in Hawaii on June 25, 2000. Ms. Anderson hopes to run the Marathon at Kona, which traces the same route as the Iron Man Marathon.

She first learned of Team Diabetes by chance. Melissa said, “I just saw the pamphlet where I work out.” She continued, “I never would have attempted to run a marathon if it wasn’t for this program.” Her interest in diabetes is much more than a hard won trip to Hawaii, though. She said, “I’m running for my cousin Nicholas who has diabetes.” Nicholas, now eight, was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of two. Melissa Anderson continued, “What we’re doing is nothing compared to what Nicholas has to deal with every day of his life.”

The Team Diabetes program is essentially a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Last year there were 200 participants in Team Diabetes from the ADA’s Eastern Region. These runners and walkers raised a net total of $385,000 for the American Diabetes Association. That is a significant amount of money. Still, when you consider the amount of people affected by this deadly disease, it is nowhere near enough. 15.7 million people or 5.9% of the population in the U.S. have diabetes. Sadly though, only 1/3 of these cases are properly diagnosed. That means 5.4 million people are affected by the disease and don’t even know it. This leaves those affected facing the complications, which include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage and the possible amputation of feet and legs.

Team Diabetes, is helping to raise the public’s awareness of the disease, and at the same time raise some money to combat it. Participants in the program get quite a few advantages. The ADA provides a trainer for all contestants along with free medical care, should anything happen during the training or the race. Melissa’s trainer is Janie Edwards. Ms. Anderson is most appreciative of her appointed trainer’s efforts. She commented, “Janie pushes me!” She later continued, “When you are on your last mile and you just don’t think you can run anymore, Janie knows how to motivate you to go on. I wouldn’t be able to run the way I do without her. Janie is the best.”

Melissa’s enthusiasm for running makes it difficult to believe that it would take too much to push her. She is on a rigorous training schedule in order to prepare for the big race. Team Diabetes has set up an 18 week program to help Melissa and other participants in their efforts to run the race. Melissa explained her tough work out schedule by saying, “The program starts at six (miles), and then you gradually build up to 20. We run five days a week and also do a lot of cross training.”

Nothing stops Team Diabetes. Melissa and Janie can be seen in Delaware Park running through snow and rain. A few weeks ago they were the only people on Meadow Drive willing to trudge through the snow.

However, Melissa Anderson and Janie Edwards are not alone in their struggle to combat the deadly disease of diabetes. There is a dedicated group of people associated with Team Diabetes that meet every Saturday at “the statue of the dog” and walk or run a few miles. Some of them are former marathon runners and walkers, but all of them are very supportive of Team Diabetes and the ADA.

Despite all of Melissa’s hard work and training, it is still not certain that she will be able to make it to Kona to participate in this run. The ADA requires all participants to raise $3,500 before they can take the trip to their race. Twenty-five to thirty percent of the funds raised will cover her training and travel expenses. The remaining 75% of the funds raised by Melissa will go towards the ADA’s research, information, and advocacy to combat this elusive disease.

To ensure that she does in fact make the trip, Melissa has initiated several fund raising activities. She said, “I’m trying to hold a raffle.”

She has contacted local businesses to participate in the raffle either by donating some merchandise or simply buying a ticket. That isn’t the only effort Ms. Anderson is making, though. She is also conducting a can drive. “I have given out fliers to my whole neighborhood to put their cans out.” She is asking that residents in the area between Starin and Delaware, and Kenmore and Hertel set out bags with refundable soda-pop cans on Sunday, April 2 so that she can redeem all the nickels. This will help her pay for the trip.

Margaret Micko, who is part of the Team Diabetes group that walks in Delaware Park on Saturday mornings said, “If everyone who reads this article just sends one dollar to the ADA, that would be such a great help.”

Melissa has set some reasonable goals for herself. Her first objective is simply trying to get the $3,500 together for the trip to Kona. Aside from that she isn’t too concerned with how she places in the race or how long it takes her. She said, “I just want to finish it. It’s my first marathon.”

Janie Edwards has set some higher aspirations for her pupil. She said, “Four hours is a really good time to shoot for, I know Melissa can do four hours.”

If you would like to help Melissa Anderson achieve her goals, but don’t have any empty cans lying around, you can call the American Diabetes Association at 835-0274 extension 2 and talk to Joani Inzinna. You can send any donations to the American Diabetes Association, Attention Team Diabetes, 315 Alberta Drive, Suite 102, Amherst, NY 14226.