The Long Island Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (LIJDRF) will host a kick-off dinner for its annual walk on Wednesday, Aug. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Melville Marriot. The walk, whose theme is "The Cure - Our Final Frontier," will take place on Sunday, Sept. 16 in Suffolk County at Belmont Lake State Park in Babylon and on Sunday, Sept. 30 in Nassau County at SUNY Old Westbury. Having raised more than $1.5 million for diabetes research at last year's walk, the LI Chapter continues to set high goals as it will strive to raise $2 million at this year's event.

"The kick-off event is an opportunity to build momentum for our most critical event of the year - the annual walk," states Barbara Rogus, executive director of the LIJDRF. "Each year, we set one of the organization's highest fundraising goals, and each year, we surpass it thanks to the tremendous support we receive from Long Island residents and businesses. Everyone is welcome to attend this event. Working together, we can find a cure for diabetes."

National JDRF Walk partners include: Advance Auto Parts, CitiBank, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., Discover Financial Services, Ford Motor Company, HyVee, Marshalls, Starwood Foundation, Stop & Shop, UBS and Walgreens.

Those interested in attending the kick-off event should RSVP to the LIJDRF's Melville office by calling 631-414-1126 by July 25. The Melville Marriott is located at: 1350 Walt Whitman Road in Melville.

JDRF, the leading charitable fundraiser and advocate of juvenile (type 1) diabetes research worldwide, was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with juvenile diabetes - a disease which strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin-dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. Since its inception, JDRF has provided more than one billion dollars in direct funding to diabetes research. In a typical year, 85 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and research-related education. JDRF's mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. For more information, visit the JDRF Web site at www.jdrf.org or call 631-414-1126.