Lilly Diabetes Adds NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Ryan Reed to Annual Diabetes Summer Camp Tour

INDIANAPOLIS, June 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 

News Highlights:

• #Lilly #Diabetes boosts Camp Care Package speaker program adding 20-yr-old NASCAR @driverRyanReed; cheers 10 yrs with skier Kris Freeman 

When NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) driver Ryan Reed set out to plan his summer, canoeing and archery may not have been on his to-do list…but they are now. Today, Lilly Diabetes announced that Ryan will join Olympic cross-country skier Kris Freeman as a Lilly Camp Care Package (LCCP) program ambassador. Both athletes will travel the country to share their personal stories and speak to campers about how type 1 diabetes did not stop them from chasing their dreams. You can follow their summer camp journeys on Twitter: @TeamFreeBirdXC and @driverRyanReed.

Diabetes camps offer unique experiences to children in a traditional camp setting. For many children with diabetes, this can be the first step toward gaining confidence for the future and understanding they are not alone. Campers learn critical diabetes self-management skills, and many find camaraderie in the shared experiences of fellow campers.

"I'm really excited to be part of the Lilly Camp Care Package program and meet with kids face-to-face this summer," said Ryan. "When I was told I wouldn't be able to race because of my diabetes, I knew it was an obstacle I could overcome as long as I had the right people around me to help. That's why I can't wait to get to camp; I can show kids that having type 1 diabetes doesn't mean the end of your dreams."

Ryan, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes three years ago at age 17, was told he would never race again. However, once he learned about diabetes and strategies for proper management, he was back on track to pursue his dream of racing cars. In 2014, Ryan became a full-time driver for Roush Fenway Racing and an advocate for diabetes awareness. Ryan is also the ambassador for Drive to Stop Diabetes^SM, an educational initiative with the American Diabetes Association and Lilly Diabetes.

Skier Kris Freeman was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 19. This year marks his 10^th camp tour season and 12 years as a Lilly Diabetes ambassador. Since 2004, Kris has traveled more than 120,000 miles and visited approximately 10,000 campers. In February he competed in his fourth Winter Olympics. Like Ryan, Kris was also told to give up his sport when he was diagnosed with diabetes 14 years ago.

"Having speakers come to camp with real-life experience with this disease is so meaningful for campers," said Carol Dixon, Camp Director of the American Diabetes Association's Camp John Warvel, in Indiana. "When Kris shares his story and talks openly about the 'good and bad,' not only do I see the children sit up and listen, they gain valuable lessons about their ability to successfully manage their disease, even with setbacks. We're glad Ryan has joined the program because that's another voice supporting what our children can do. These wonderful speakers give the campers exciting memories they will hold onto for the rest of their lives."

Lilly Diabetes has supported camps for children with diabetes for 14 years and believes that attending a diabetes summer camp is an important milestone for children learning to live fully with diabetes. Since 2001, Lilly Diabetes has donated nearly $23 million in insulin, supplies, scholarships, and camper and caregiver materials. 

"Diabetes camps play such an important role in helping children gain confidence and self-sufficiency. Our hope at Lilly is that role models like Kris and Ryan can accelerate the learning by showing what can be accomplished," said Kevin Cammack, senior director, U.S. marketing, Lilly Diabetes. "Through the expansion of the Camp Care Package program, we hope to reach more children in ways that allow them to learn while having fun at camp." 

Kris and Ryan's 2014 summer diabetes camp tour begins June 9. To hear or read their stories, or for more information on other Lilly Diabetes support programs, please visit www.lillydiabetes.com. To find a camp in your area, visit www.diabetescamps.org. 

2014 Camp Tour Schedule

Ryan Reed
Camp John Warvel – North Webster, Ind., 6/9 
Camp Until A Cure – Noblesville, Ind., 6/10
Friends for Life – Orlando, Fla., 7/2
ADA Camp Triangle D – Ingleside, Ill., 7/23

Kris Freeman
INdependence Diabetes at Camp Carson – Princeton, Ind., 6/23
Camp WannaCure – Richmond, Va., 6/24
Camp CoDiaK – Rincon, Ga., 6/25
Camp Red Jacket – Orefield, Pa., 6/26
The Rotary Club Camp for Children with Diabetes – Amarillo, Texas, 6/27
Camp Aldersgate – Little Rock, Ark., 7/7
K.I.D.S. Day Camp – Texarkana, Ariz., 7/8
Camp Ho Mita Koda – Newbury, Ohio, 7/9
Bearskin Meadow Camp – Miramonte, Calif., 7/10
Camp Conrad-Chinnock – Angelus Oaks, Calif., 7/11 

About Lilly Diabetes 
Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world's first commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a broad and growing product portfolio and a continued determination to provide real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY)
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and http://newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels.

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