NORWICH – The Norwich YMCA's “Take a Shot at Diabetes” event, organized by three local men personally touched by the disease, was a community success. Funds were raised to send a local child to Camp Aspire for children diagnosed with diabetes, to donate several gas cards to adults with diabetes for their medical trips and to support diabetes education programs at the local YMCA.

Various community members and local businesses attended the event and donated to the cause including The Law Offices of Spence and Associates, UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, Chenango County District Attorney’s Office and many others.

The diabetes fundraiser was held at 5:30 p.m. last Saturday, March 28, at Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich. Attendees enjoyed drinks and socialized at the country club's bar before entering the dining room to enjoy a buffet of salad, pasta, chicken, pork chops, rice and vegetables.

While attendees enjoyed a healthy, diabetes-friendly dessert of fruit and Chobani yogurt, New Berlin NBT Bank Manager, Brian Burton, said he had the idea to help children diagnosed with diabetes after getting to know Shawn Sastri's son, also his son's friend, who was diagnosed with the disease.

Burton said he would watch his son's friend play, and he was inspired by the boy's positive attitude. He learned the boy was able to attend Camp Aspire, a camp created to help children cope with diabetes and meet other kids who also have the disease, and that it had helped with his outlook about his diagnosis.

Burton, as he said, became “choked up” talking about his son's friend and was inspired to help other children with diabetes, who were less fortunate, have the opportunity to attend Camp Aspire.

“I thought, wouldn't it be cool if other kids, who didn't have the means, got to go to this camp and realize they are not alone?” said Burton.

Burton said New Berlin Mayor Terry Potter, whose mother died a few years ago from complications caused by diabetes, said there are also many adults in the community who need help getting to medical appointments. Potter said his mother often had to travel to meet her medical needs regarding her illness, so the two men decided to also raise money to donate gas cards to adults with diabetes.