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The 14th annual Taste of the Vine fundraiser hosted by the William Sansum Diabetes Center at the QAD business center in Summerland centered on the continuing quest for the prevention and treatment of and a cure for diabetes, which affects nearly 30 million Americans.
In Santa Barbara County, diabetes affects more than 40,000 people, and the event raised more than $75,000 toward the cause.
William Sansum Diabetes Center Executive Director Ellen Goodstein welcomed the attendees and thanked the board members, volunteers, donors, sponsors and vendors for the overwhelming support.
“Diabetes is the health epidemic of our time,” Goodstein said. “If left unchecked, it will affect one in three people in our community in the next 20 years.”
The William Sansum Diabetes Center is recognized worldwide for its cutting-edge research in technology, treatment and outreach programs, including youth educational programs that increase awareness and prevent diabetes, and the Artificial Pancreas Project, designed to eliminate high and low levels of blood sugar detected in patients.
“We’re continuing our work on the artificial pancreas, and I’m delighted to say we’ve now moved out of the laboratory into the real world,” said director of research and innovation Dr. David Kerr, M.D., FRCPE. “That’s really exciting for people with Type 1 diabetes, and it means that this technology is getting close to being available in the market. And we hope that pretty soon people will be able to start using an artificial pancreas in their day-to-day lives. We think this is going to be hugely beneficial, reducing the risk of hypoglycemia and keeping the diabetes under control.”
Also in 2016, the organization is preparing to launch a 10-year initiative called the Santa Barbara 1,000 Project, which will aim to reduce the burden of Type 2 diabetes and the cardiovascular complications among the local Latino population.
Dr. William Sansum founded the institute in 1944 and was the first U.S. physician to produce insulin to a patient in Santa Barbara, in 1922. His legacy and endeavor to find a cure for people with diabetes continues to be the cornerstone and passion of the nonprofit organization.
“I’m very passionate about this because it stems from my own experience, because my now 32-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 13,” Goodstein shared with Noozhawk. “And I understand how that turns a family upside down, and how that affects the individual. So we’ve got to find the cure.”
Stunning views of the Pacific Ocean from the hilltop bluff in Summerland delighted a jubilant group of supporters during the festive event. Music by The Collins Jazz Tonic Band filled the site as guests mingled, sipped beverages and feasted on a vast selection of dishes from local wineries and breweries, caterers and restaurants.
Guests sat at tables shaded from the afternoon sun by large white umbrellas as a live auction featuring John Palminteri got underway.
As the afternoon came to a close, guests began to say their goodbyes and gather their belongings, while others lingered to enjoy the golden sunset.
“The William Sansum Diabetes Center has made a significant impact on the lives of people living with diabetes,” board president Sandra Svoboda said. “I support the center so we can continue to make meaningful advances today and for years to come.”
All proceeds will benefit the programs designed to help treat, prevent and cure diabetes in Santa Barbara County.
“One of the things we do is we make advances that improve the quality of life of people with diabetes,” Goodstein said. “We test a lot of new devices, so we help bring to market the insulin pump and the continuous glucose monitors that are available now.”
Gifts to preserving Sansum’s legacy can be made in a variety of ways, such as bequests, life income trusts and gift annuities. To learn more about these and other giving opportunities, call 805.682.7638 for a confidential conversation with a planned giving director.
Click here for more information about the William Sansum Diabetes Center.
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
