December 27, 2009

Wow!  What a YEAR!  This year there were A LOT of “firsts.”  For one, I was laid off from my full-time job in December 2009 for the first time in my life!  But, most importantly, DiabetesSisters experienced A LOT of “firsts.”  Let’s walk together down memory lane and you’ll see just how much has happened in the life of DiabetesSisters this year!

2009: A Year To Remember

• The January 2009 issue of Diabetes Forecast magazine featured an article written by DiabetesSisters Founder/Executive Director, Brandy Barnes, entitled “From the Basketball Court to the World Stage” about life as a woman with diabetes.   
• On January 21, 2009 (19 years to the date of my diagnosis!) DiabetesSisters received approval from the IRS of our 501(c)3 nonprofit status.  What a great FIRST!   
• On January 31, 2009 DiabetesSisters held its first official Board Meeting and decided to move forward with developing a partnership with Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) to hold DiabetesSisters’ first event for women with diabetes. (DiabetesSisters Board Members include: Brandy Barnes, MSW; John Buse, MD; Laura Ely, Camille Izlar, CDE; Chetan Kundavaram; Nancy Mayer, Esq.; Anne Peters, MD; and Tisa Roberts, MD)
• In April 2009, Health & Healing in the Triangle magazine featured an article written by Founder/ED, Brandy Barnes about the impact of diabetes on women.
• On May 3, 2009, DiabetesSisters held its first “Meet & Greet” event in collaboration with TCOYD at their Raleigh Conference and Health Fair.  Fifty enthusiastic women of all ages, types of diabetes, and nationalities were in attendance!  It was a day that made me proud to be a woman with diabetes!  A Special Shout Out to Michele Huie for helping making this event a reality!
• On June 10, 2009, DiabetesSisters held its second Board Meeting and moved forward with forming a partnership with TCOYD for a larger event for women with diabetes in 2010.
• In July 2009, DiabetesSistes Founder/Executive Director, Brandy Barnes, was identified as one of the 25 most influential diabetes bloggers in the nation by Roche Diagnostics and invited to meet with Roche's management team at their headquarters in Indianapolis, IN.  (Now, that’s a First!)  From that meeting and the discussions that ensued afterward, DiabetesSisters secured Roche Diagnostics as a Diamond Sponsor on Nov. 13, 2009.
• In July 2009, DiabetesSisters and TCOYD entered into an official partnership agreement to hold the Weekend for Women Conference hosted by DiabetesSisters and TCOYD on May 22-23, 2010 in Raleigh, NC at the conclusion of the Raleigh TCOYD Conference and Health Fair.
• In August 2009, DiabetesSisters’ Founder/Executive Director, Brandy Barnes attended American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) Conference as a nonprofit vendor.  At this event, numerous partnerships were formed.  Of interest, Nicole Johnson, former Miss America, expressed an interest in attending/speaking at the Conference.   In addition, the Centers for Disease Control invited DiabetesSisters to present our organization/mission/goals to their staff in Atlanta.
•  In August 2009, DiabetesSisters Fonder/Executive Director, Brandy Barnes, met with a team from Micromass Communications (whom she made initial contact with at TCOYD in May 2009).  While the company normally works with pharmaceutical companies, they were interested in working with a nonprofit in the diabetes arena to study health behaviors and publish some of the findings.  At the conclusion of our initial meeting, Micromass employees agreed to (pro-bono) 1) create a promotional video for DiabetesSisters, 2) develop a member survey to improve DiabetesSisters programs/services (to be in place by October 31) and 3) help DiabetesSisters create a 5-year strategic plan to get us where we want to be. 
• In August and September 2009, the DiabetesSisters/Weekend for Women Sponsorship Packet was distributed to Board Members to approach potential funders/contacts.  A Special Shout-out to Dr. John Buse and Dr. Steven Edelman for heading up this effort!  Grants were also submitted to secure sponsorship of the Weekend for Women Conference and the organization as a whole.   
• In September 2009, a portion of Search Engine Optimization was conducted on the DiabetesSisters website and the website template was updated.
• On September 21, 2009, DiabetesSisters received its very first sponsorship dollars from Kerr Drug as the Tote Bag sponsor of DiabetesSisters/Weekend for Women Conference.
• On October 10, 2009, the first Weekend for Women Planning Committee meeting took place at Highgate Specialty Center in Durham, NC. 
• On October 19, 2009, DiabetesSisters’ first Diamond Sponsor, Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals, was confirmed.
• On November 14, 2009, (World Diabetes Day), the FIRST DiabetesSisters Quarterly Gathering took place at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in Raleigh, NC with more than 25 women with diabetes in attendance!    
• On November 15, 2009, the second Weekend for Women Planning Committee meeting took place.
• On December 10, 2009, the third Weekend for Women Planning Committee meeting took place and the Agenda with confirmed speakers began to come together!
• As of December 27, 2009- DiabetesSisters/Weekend for Women Conference has secured the following sponsors:

• And the DiabetesSisters website has seen: 183,356 page views, 38,224 visitors, 144 countries represented, 1,568 registered members, 204 Buddy Matches