Plainview DECA is an association of marketing students that allows members of the chapter to get involved in the real business and advertising world. This year, the Plainview DECA Chapter is implementing a public relations campaign that focuses on raising awareness for juvenile diabetes, an incurable disease that is coming to increasingly affect youths everywhere.

A new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 30 seconds. Diabetes kills one American every three minutes. There are more than one million Americans living with juvenile diabetes. These are scary statistics. POBJFK High School's DECA has taken up the responsibility of making Plainview aware of these statistics by promoting knowledge for juvenile diabetes.

Juvenile diabetes, or Type I diabetes, is a lifelong disease that develops when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin lets sugar enter body cells to be used for energy. Without it, the blood sugar level rises above what is safe for the body. Continually high blood sugar levels can increase the risk of eye, heart, blood vessel, nerve, and kidney disease. Juvenile diabetes can develop at any age, though it is most frequently diagnosed in children and young adults.

While the causes of juvenile diabetes remain unknown, research has proven that there are certain risk factors associated with the disease, such as having a family history of juvenile diabetes. Caucasians are at a greater risk for having this disease than any other race. In addition, girls 10-12 years of age and boys 12-14 years of age are most likely to be diagnosed with this disease.

Juvenile diabetes targets mostly youths, yet children and adolescents are often unaware that they suffer from it. About 17 million people in the United States alone suffer from some type of diabetes, 5.9 million remain undiagnosed. The following are symptoms of juvenile diabetes: frequent urination, extreme thirst and a dry mouth, weight loss, increased hunger, irritability, nausea and vomiting, chronic weakness and fatigue, and blurred vision. If you recognize these symptoms over a prolonged period of time, whether in yourself or a loved one, you may be one of the 5.9 million people who are unaware that they suffer from diabetes. Don't be a statistic! If these symptoms persist, it would be in your best interest to consult a physician or tell your friend to do so.

DECA's theme for this public relations campaign is "Fly for a Cure: the Sky's the Limit." Second year DECA students Andrea Roxas and Mallory Spector are directing this campaign. "Fly for a Cure" is meant to inspire the feeling that the possibilities are endless in realizing a cure for juvenile diabetes. This theme will be incorporated into all events associated with this operation. DECA will be selling airplane cutouts for one dollar that will be posted up in the high school and Mattlin Middle School, with each airplane bearing the name of the person who bought it. All proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF. JDRF is an institution dedicated to finding a cure for this disease; it is working with DECA to help make this campaign more effective. In addition, DECA will be distributing throughout the town informative fliers that give important facts on juvenile diabetes.

The support of the community's local businesses would greatly benefit the campaign and allow those involved to reach a wider audience. DECA hopes to expand the airplane cutout sales by asking stores in Plainview if they would be interested in selling these planes to customers and posting the planes up throughout their store. It would also be valuable if local businesses can show support by posting the informative fliers on storefronts or windows-wherever attention would be attracted.

The core of public relations is raising awareness. DECA hopes to achieve this in the schools via educational presentations in Mattlin Middle School and POBJFK High School that include interactive means of learning about juvenile diabetes and how it affects the lives of those who suffer from it.

DECA hopes that "Fly for a Cure" will be successful in reaching the entire town of Plainview. It wants members of this neighborhood to acknowledge the growing prevalence of juvenile diabetes by learning the aspects of the disease and hopefully passing on the information to family and friends.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, or know of a local business that would be willing to work with DECA in this campaign, please contact Andrea Roxas at roxasmd@msn.com as soon as possible.