Sunday, March 09 2008 - The Carnival for a Cure benefits the Diabetes Research Institute and is a fun event for the entire family, right in the heart of the City.

The Metropolitan Pavilion will be transformed into an indoor carnival and video extravaganza for kids and adults. This year's Carnival for a Cure will be the biggest yet, featuring activities and games for tots and teens alike, including virtual reality games, micro-racing, a bungee run, a mini obstacle course, basketball hoops, face painters, tattoo artists and many other fun activities. Attendees will be able to enjoy gourmet food from Dean & DeLuca one of New York's most renowned caterers and restaurants while they view live entertainment featuring magicians, jugglers and stilt walkers. Plus, there will be hundreds of free prizes on hand to be won.

More than 20 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have diabetes, and approximately two million have type 1 diabetes. An estimated 800,000 adult New Yorkers - more than one in every eight - now have diabetes, and city health officials have described the problem as a “bona fide epidemic.” The monies raised by the Carnival for a Cure go directly to the Diabetes Research Institute whose sole mission is to find a cure for diabetes.

The Diabetes Research Institute, a center of excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. Since its inception in the early 1970’s, the DRI has made significant contributions to the field of type 1 diabetes research, pioneering many of the techniques used in islet transplantation. From innovations in islet isolation and transplant procedures to advances in cell biology and immunology, the DRI is now harnessing the power of emerging technologies to develop new cell-based therapies to restore insulin production. For the millions of families already affected by diabetes who are looking to the world of science for answers, the Diabetes Research Institute us the best hope for a cure.

Current Carnival sponsors include, but are not limited to, Kenneth C, Cohen & Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, Matthew Miller & National Land Tenure Company, LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care, The Jeffrey A. Altman Foundation & Owl Creek Asset Management, Kaye Scholer LLP, OmniPod Insulin Management System (Insulet Corporation), Holly & David Sherr, The Stern Family Foundation.

When: 1pm to 4pm.
Where: Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th St. between 6th and 7th Ave., NY, NY.
Cost: $100/adult and $75/child. $350 for a family of four which includes two adults and two children.
Contact: Diabetes Research Institute
Email: carnival@drif.org
Phone: 212-888-2217
Website: http://www.diabetesresearch.org

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