Empire City Casino At Yonkers Raceway To Host Walk To Cure Diabetes Oct. 16

Online, September 28, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Empire City at Yonkers Raceway longtime general manager Bob Galterio's daughter Cara was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 10, and the Bedford resident immediately was compelled to take action to fight the disease.

So, the "Cure for Cara" was born. That was 10 years ago, and on Sunday, October 16, more than 2,500 Empire City employees, volunteers and participants will gather at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, to take action in the Walk to Cure Diabetes for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Galterio will serve as captain of the "Cure for Cara" team.

With the help of many volunteers and donors, JDF is moving research from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside, translating scientific advances into longer, healthier lives for those with diabetes, moving closer to our goal...a cure for diabetes and its complications.

More than 2,500 walkers representing local corporations, families, schools, and other organizations are expected to participate in the Westchester County Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) annual Walk to Cure Diabetes, on Sunday, October 16, 2011 at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway from 9 a.m. - noon. The fundraising goal for the chapter is to realize more than $690,000 for research to find a cure for diabetes and its complications.

"It's great to be partnering with JDRF and working together on such an important goal - curing a disease that kills one American every three minutes. The recent statistics are staggering and reveal that health care expenditures surrounding diabetes cost our nation more than $174 billion," says Corporate Walk Chair, Bob Galterio, Vice President and General Manager of Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway. These are the reasons we are committed to raising money for the cutting-edge research that JDRF funds. By working together, we can make a difference."

This year the Westchester County Chapter of JDRF will honor The Stagg Family of White Plains, NY and their walk team, Team Amanda, for all that they have done over the past 7 years. Team Amanda has been participating in the Walk to Cure Diabetes by raising over $264,000 for type 1 diabetes research!

"We became involved with JDRF in 2004 because we felt this was an organization dedicated toward funding research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. Our daughter Amanda, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 3 on May 1, 2003. We have had over 100 walkers join Team Amanda each year to show their love and support for her. Our family is so appreciative to be the Honored Family this year, said Theresa Stagg. "We hope all of our efforts will soon find a cure for our courageous daughter Amanda and all of the families affected by type 1 diabetes."

In addition to wide-spread corporate support, entire families from kids to grandparents take part in the fundraising efforts of the Walk to Cure Diabetes - many affected, but even those who are not among the 14 million Americans with a personal connection to type-1 diabetes. At the Walk, there will be games, a scavenger hunt, food and most of all FUN! On-site registration begins at 9:00 a.m. at the entrance of the racetrack.

"JDRF is immensely appreciative of Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway's participation," said JDRF Executive Director, Rebecca Santoli. "This is corporate citizenship at its finest. The commitment of Bob Galterio and his employees enables us to accelerate research to find a cure for diabetes. Insulin is not a cure, merely life support for the estimated 3 million Americans suffering from type-1 diabetes and its complications. Research is the only answer." Local JDRF Walk Sponsors include: Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, Bayer Health Care, Bleakly Platt, Entergy, Brown & Tarantino, Stop & Shop, WestMed, Serendipity Magazine, Edwards & Zuck, Benchmark Title Agency, Shop Rite, Lawrence Hospital Center, Swiss Re and Lockton Companies, LLC and Acura of Westchester.

JDRF Walks are held in more than 200 cities worldwide. Nearly 500,000 people nationally walked last year and raised $90 million to cure diabetes.

JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes National Corporate Partners are: Advance Auto Parts, Albertsons, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., Discover Financial Services, Ford Motor Company, Fresh Market, Marshalls, Old Orchard, UBS, Turner and Walgreens. Unite to Cure Diabetes partners are: Delta Air Lines, and Medtronic MiniMed.

About JDRF
JDRF is a leader in setting the agenda for diabetes research worldwide, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes children and adults suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.
Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.4 billion to diabetes research, including more than $100 million in FY2009.

To register now and participate, sponsor the event, build a Walk team, or for more information please visit www.walk.jdrf.org or call the JDRF Westchester County Chapter at 914-686-7700.

About Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway
Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway features: 5,300 slot machines, video roulette and electronic craps tables, Italian dining in Nonno's Trattoria, and trackside in the Empire Terrace Restaurant, which overlooks the track for live harness racing, as well as a quick bite at the International Food Court and its wide-ranging menu. The multi-faceted Good Time Room is available for parties, benefits, weddings, and major events for up to 500. Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway is located at 810 Yonkers Avenue (at Central Avenue) in Yonkers, New York, Westchester County, (I-87 to Exit 2). Empire City Casino is open seven days a week from 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM Sunday through Thursday, and until 4:00 AM on Friday and Saturday. For more information call 914.968.4200 or log onto www.empirecitygaming.com.