A North Platte business is raising money to assist in the fight against one of mankind’s most brutal and devastating diseases-juvenile diabetes.

Smoker Friendly has been raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) for the past month.

Customers can make a donation to JDRF in the amount of $5 or $10, and be entered to win some great prizes, including: liquor baskets, a Bud cooler, a Bud mirror, Coors coolers and more.  All donations go directly to the JDRF.

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until they 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.

Diabetes is the name given to disorders in which the body has trouble regulating its blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which a person’s body still produces insulin but is unable to use it effectively.

Each year, more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults—approximately 80 people per day—are diagnosed with T1D in the U.S.  The prevalence of T1D in Americans under age 20 rose by 23 percent between 2001 and 2009.  The rate of T1D incidence among children under age 14 is estimated to increase by three percent annually worldwide.

Organizers at Smoker Friendly say they decided to support the JDRF because the issue hits close to home.  They say several Smoker Friendly employees have family members who are affected by this disease.

To make a donation, visit Smoker Friendly at 825 South Jeffers.  Donations can be made through Sunday, August 31.