The Chicago Fire Soccer Club, in conjunction with Novo Nordisk, the American Diabetes Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Walgreen’s announced today that the Chicago Fire – New York Red Bulls match is Diabetes Awareness Day at TOYOTA PARK on Sunday, June 26 at 1:00 p.m. CT (ESPN).
Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, offers a comprehensive portfolio of diabetes pharmaceuticals and delivery systems to help improve care for people living with diabetes. The partnership entitled “La Buena Salud Es Vivir” (Good Health is Living) is a collaboration to promote Diabetes education and awareness. As part of the activation at TOYOTA PARK, Walgreens will have a presence in FireFest prior to the match conducting Diabetes screenings while Novo Nordisk, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and The American Diabetes Association will further educate Fire supporters of the metabolic disease that affects 25.8 million children and adults in the United States. In Chicago, diabetes impacts more than 1 million people and by 2025 that will increase to 2 million people living with diabetes. Nearly 36 percent of Hispanics/Latinos are living with diabetes. Since the year 2000, 1 in 2 Hispanic/Latino youths will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is proud to join forces with the Chicago Fire Soccer Club to educate the Chicago Latino community about the importance of diabetes prevention and management. Along with our other Chicago Fire partners, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and bring awareness and education to the people and families affected by this issue,” says Clarita Santos, Director of Community Health Initiatives at BCBSIL.
The Fire and Novo Nordisk have partnered with the Alivio Soccer League, a Hispanic youth and men’s soccer league in Chicago to help spread the word on the affects of diabetes in the Hispanic population. Prior to kickoff, Novo Nordisk has arranged a scrimmage on the TOYOTA PARK Turf Field and will involve the participants in a pregame ceremony.
In addition to Novo Nordisk’s title day at TOYOTA PARK, the focused health care company and the world leader in diabetes care has strengthened their affiliation with the Fire to help impact the Chicagoland community. Novo Nordisk is the title sponsor of FireFest, each of the club’s Community Soccer Clinics and were one of the local sponsors at this past weekend’s Futbolito event at Riis Park.
