AHOSKIE – Josh Lane can now proudly boast of being a high school graduate.

However, what he can never graduate from is that of being a diabetic….unless, of course, a cure is found.

The effort to raise funds for juvenile diabetes research continues on Tuesday, Aug. 10 with the 11th annual Josh Lane Classic. This single-day golf tournament is the largest of its kind in the local area, attracting over 100 golfers to Beechwood Country Club.

“My wife and I made a commitment over 10 years ago to do everything in our power to help our son and millions of others like him who have juvenile diabetes,” said David Lane, who conceived the idea for the golf tournament in 1999. “We will continue this fight as long as we have breath or until a cure is found.”

Since its inception in 2000, the Josh Lane Golf Classic has raised more than $290,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

This year’s event will again be divided into a morning and afternoon flight – morning (8:30 a.m. tee time with check-in from 7:30-8:15 a.m.) and afternoon (1:30 p.m. tee time; check-in from 12:30-1:15 p.m.).

All participants will be treated to lunch in-between the flights.

Those wanting to participate can get their foursome in if they act immediately. The cost is $350 and includes 18 holes of golf, carts, a golf gift and a luncheon. To reserve your spot, contact David Lane at 398-5956 or contact the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, toll-free, at 1-800-377-0476. Registration can also be handled online at www.joshlanegolfclassic.com. Please specify if your foursome wants to play in the morning or afternoon. All spots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Golfers also qualify for special prizes, including a $10,000 putting contest (50 percent to the golfer; 50 percent to JDRF), hole-in-one prizes, straightest drive and closest to the pin. There is also a raffle featuring numerous prizes.

Those who do not play golf, but would like to be involved in the tournament, they can sponsor a hole or tee box for $250 each. Contact either of the aforementioned telephone numbers if interested. There are other levels of sponsorship also available. Learn more about those by visiting the event’s website.

For the second consecutive year, the Classic will feature TV celebrity Kelly Gaita, a Lifestyle Correspondent with FOX43. A native of Hampton Roads, Gaita won the first-ever title of “Face of FOX43” in 2008 and began a one-year term as a spokesperson for the TV station, highlighting community people and events. After completing her time in that role, Gaita continues to entertain and highlight events that impact the everyday lives of people in the community.

JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research worldwide. Since 1970, JDRF has awarded more than $680 million to diabetes research. More than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education.

Juvenile Diabetes predominantly strikes children, making them insulin dependent for life. It can, and does, strike adults as well.

Without a cure, Josh has to test his blood at least four times a day and endure multiple daily insulin injections. He also must follow a very rigid, structured diet and exercise regimen, every day.

Without a cure, Josh will live with the constant threat of devastating complications.

Help Josh and other diabetics through your participation in the Classic or by donating directly to JDRF.

Nearly 21 million Americans have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes (representing seven percent of the population).

Diabetes currently affects 246 million people worldwide and is expected to affect 380 million by 2025. According to World Health Organization Estimates, this number will more than double by 2030.

In the United States, a new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 30 seconds; more than 1.5 million people are diagnosed each year.