Toronto, ON – (May 2nd, 2019) – Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects is committed to helping youth be the best they can be and has partnered with JDRF to improve the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) – an autoimmune disease that affects 300,000 Canadians.
Since 2001, Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects has invested over $2.9 million in JDRF and supported the development of the first self-adjusting insulin pump – a technology recently approved by Health Canada. This is a game changer for those who rely on insulin for daily survival.
With the goal of providing mentoring opportunities for young people, Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects helped JDRF develop a Youth Ambassador Program that gives children living with the condition a platform to share their experiences and eliminate the stigma associated with T1D.
The Foundation’s recent gift of $200,000 celebrates the partnership and expands upon both initiatives. The Boston Pizza Future Prospects Award Program for JDRF will give 20 awards of $5,000 each to aid students and their families with tuition costs, while The Boston Pizza Future Prospects T1D Research Fellowship ($100K) will give a young investigator the opportunity to explore the next generation of technology to improve the management of T1D.
“Through our exclusive partnership with the Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects, we are empowering our leaders of tomorrow to reach their full potential and remain connected to the T1D community,” says Dave Prowten, president and CEO of JDRF Canada. “This generous investment will see the Award Program – a first-time JDRF initiative – and the Research Fellowship ensure that youth living with T1D can transition into healthy, confident role models who are supported in their pursuit of bright futures.”
“Thanks to fundraising efforts from Boston Pizza franchisees, guests and our valued partner vendors, we have collaborated with JDRF to create a strong and healthy community based on a shared vision,” adds Michelle Schepel, Executive Director at Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects. “These initiatives will not only motivate students with T1D to follow their passions and do well in their studies, but will also help a promising young investigator work at the leading edge of T1D research upon securing post-graduation employment. We are very proud of our long-standing partnership with JDRF and we couldn’t be more thrilled to support these initiatives.”
Award applicants will be asked to submit an essay that explains their contributions to JDRF and/or the T1D community and their plans to raise awareness among their peers, as well as how the financial assistance will inspire them to attain their goals in their chosen career paths. JDRF will announce the recipients of the awards and the fellowship in August.
-30-
About JDRF Canada:
JDRF is the leading global organization funding T1D research. Our goal is to raise funds to support the most advanced international T1D research and progressively remove the impact of this disease from people’s lives – until we achieve a world without T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence, and a working plan to better treat, prevent, and eventually cure T1D. JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. For more information, please visit breakthrought1d.ca.
For more information:
Soledad Vega
Marketing and Communications Manager
JDRF Canada
647-459-7881
svega@jdrf.ca
About Boston Pizza:
Boston Pizza International Inc. is Canada’s No. 1 casual dining brand with more than 390 restaurants in Canada and more than $1 billion in sales. Annually, Boston Pizza serves more than 40 million guests. The company has been recognized as a Platinum Member of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. Boston Pizza believes that strong role models inspire kids to be great, and in 2014, the Boston Pizza Foundation created Future Prospects to help support organizations that mentor kids to reach their full potential. Boston Pizza International Inc. is located in Richmond, B.C., and has regional offices in Mississauga, Ontario and Laval, Quebec. For more information, visit www.bostonpizza.com.
About Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects:
Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects was established in 2014 to raise funds and awareness for organizations that provide kids in Canada with role models and mentoring programs. Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects is proud to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters, JDRF, Kids Help Phone, Live Different and the Rick Hansen Foundation. Since its inception in 1990, the Boston Pizza Foundation has raised and donated more than $29 million to directly improve the health and well-being of children and families.
For more information:
Michelle Schepel
Executive Director
Boston Pizza Foundation Future Prospects
604-303-6375
SchepelM@bostonpizza.com
