At 8:30 a.m., November 7 we had just arrived at Dodger Stadium.  The occasion was the 2010 Walk for a Cure of Juvenile Diabetes.  Confronting us in Row M were two booths next to each other.  On our left was  the new “Team Rotary” captained by Michael Ojeda, and assisted by Rosie Mares, both of Arcadia Rotary   On our right was “Team Miranda Sarah” (the team with whom Rotarians had walked last year) captained by Maura Hudson, Miranda’s mother.  There were other walkers with each team.  One of “Team Rotary’s” walkers was a Type 1 victim (Randi) who worked with Brad Miller.   “Team Miranda’s” walkers included members of Maura’s mother’s group and their children who were friends of Miranda.  Miranda’s grandparents Dirk and Sharon Hudson  were members of both teams.  Several rows further to the west (half-way through the rows) was a stage with celebrities performing for the crowd.

The Walk to Cure Diabetes is JDRF-LA’s biggest event every year to raise funds for diabetes research.  Nationally, the annual walks raise nearly $100 million for JDRF  As pointed out by JDRF LA Board President Todd Zeile, father of a daughter with type 1 diabetes and a former Dodger’s third baseman: “Through the millions of dollars raised at its annual walks, the Los Angeles chapter of JDRF has helped fund ground-breaking innovations that have vastly improved blood sugar monitoring, insulin administration and significant progress towards a cure.”

This was the year in which Team Rotary made its pioneering first appearance.  Whereas last year (2009), Rotarians had raised some $500 for the cause, this year (2010) the sum was over $3,000.  This achievement went beyond that necessary to qualify Team Rotary for a booth of its own.  Backers of Team Rotary included Rotarians from Arcadia Rotary as well as from several  nearby clubs (e.g., San Marino Rotary, Sierra Madre Rotary, Monrovia Rotary, etc.), as well as some non-Rotarians.   Michael Ojeda confided his vision for the future:  Next year there could be more than one “Team Rotary,” each with its own respective captain (e.g.,  “Team Arcadia Rotary,” as well as, e.g., “Team San Marino Rotary,” “Team Sierra Madre Rotary,” “Team Monrovia Rotary,” etc.).

The teams started gathering their walkers together at 8 a.m.  By 10 a.m. they were at their full strength.  At that point it was announced over the public address system that it was time for the Walk to begin.   Then a drum corps from St. Francis High School came past.  We exited the booth area and fell in behind, merging with the rest of the some 15,000 walkers.  As we walked up the hill on the east side of the stadium, some of the five year old girls (including Miranda) sat on their parents’ shoulders holding hands with each other.  It was quite a sight, although unrehearsed, a symbol of a common purpose.   As we turned from the east, towards the south the city came into view, first with historic City Hall, then the skyscrapers including the famed Library Tower.  The teams walked two laps around the outskirts of the stadium.  Then for the third lap they walked inside the stadium and circled the entire field, taking time to enter the dugout.   Looking towards the marquee, the names of the many teams were presented, one at a time, in alphabetical order, including “Team Miranda Sarah”, and shortly thereafter (for the first time) “Team Rotary.”   As we took it all in we couldn’t help but feel that history was being made.