Peter Draeger has a pointed commitment – to help fund research that will lead curing T1D in his children’s lifetime. He has felt aligned with JDRF on this commitment since both of his sons were diagnosed with the disease over a decade ago. He says, “JDRF’s mission is what most attracted me to the organization and the Walk is the best vehicle for carrying out that mission.”
Peter’s team, known as Draeger’s Epicures for the Cure, walks as a family and as owners of a gourmet food establishment, Draeger’s Market, also sponsors and supplies refreshments for the Walk in Silicon Valley. They sell JDRF sneakers in their stores, draw in their community schools and Boy Scouts, and they are not shy about asking everyone they know to support their team. Passionate and gregarious, Peter finds himself humbled by the outpouring of generosity. He says, “If you think people don’t care, just try forming a team this year. You’ll find out what makes people feel good about themselves, and it’ll change your outlook too. The funny thing is, if by mistake, one of my letters doesn’t reach a patron or is late, I often get a phone call about it. They want to know why they didn’t get a letter and where to send their check!”
Even with his strong focus on fundraising, Peter can’t help but feel uplifted when he sees the strength in the tremendous number of people who show up on Walk Day. He says, “…watch what happens to folks who walk. As they make their way along the route, they experience some of the greatest moral support a T1D family can get!”
Peter says that heroes are everyday people. “Forget the home run kings and ace quarterbacks or the Hollywood Ramboes. Heroes are the ones who give in a big way by doing small things that neither personally reward nor recognize. You are the hero who raised that last dollar necessary to cure T1D. Every Walker is a hero.”
