BAYER DIABETES CARE ANNOUNCES 2007 WINNER OF $100,000
BAYER DREAM FUND™ CONTEST
“This is Our Story: Learning, Loving and Living Well with Diabetes,” An Original Play,
to Increase Diabetes Awareness and Education
Tarrytown, NY (April 10, 2008) – Bayer Diabetes Care announced that Wendy Coleman, Ph.D., director of Theater Ensemble and Speech at Albany State University in Georgia, is the 2007 winner of the Bayer Dream Fund, a contest for people with diabetes who want to achieve a special dream that might not have been possible without control of their diabetes. Through this award, professor Coleman will compose and perform a play about managing life with diabetes based on her and others’ personal experiences to inspire and encourage people with diabetes to live well with the condition.
Coleman, who has a family history of the disease, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2005. At that point, Coleman took a closer look at her family’s experience and decided to bring together in a play the inspirational stories of those around her as a way to highlight the importance of managing the condition. In the play, Coleman draws from her own self-denial upon being diagnosed with diabetes to create a female lead character that gains a deeper understanding of her family’s struggle and, thus, obtains the strength and determination to turn her life around.
“For a long time I suffered in silence, unwilling to accept my diagnosis or the life changes that accompany it,” Coleman said. “The courage and the struggle of my family and others I’ve met along this journey have inspired me to use my theatrical talents to help educate people about the importance of diabetes self-management.”
This is Our Story: Learning, Loving and Living Well with Diabetes will premiere in August 2008 in Albany, GA, and continue to tour the U.S. with four additional stops in Montgomery, AL; Jackson, MS; Daytona/Orlando, FL and Dallas, TX. Proceeds from the play’s ticket sales will be donated to local diabetes organizations dedicated to increasing awareness and education. For more information on Coleman and her upcoming productions, please visit www.BayerDreamFund.com or www.bayerdiabetes.com/us.
About The Bayer Dream Fund™
The inspiration for the Bayer Dream Fund came from John Dennis, who approached Bayer to fund his dream, to be the first and only person with diabetes to successfully compete in the historic Around Alone global yacht race. Bayer believed that helping Dennis achieve his dream would help to inspire others with diabetes. Through this experience, Bayer saw an opportunity to recognize people with diabetes who have inspirational dreams. Bayer established the Dream Fund to recognize these truly inspirational people and to help them accomplish their extraordinary goals.
Previous winners include:
- Peter Hoogenboom, who raised awareness of diabetes management by completing a 10,000-mile bicycle tour of the 48 contiguous United States
- Kassie Palmer, who authored a book titled, “When You’re a Parent With Diabetes: A Real Life Guide to Staying Healthy While Raising a Family”
- Colleen McCarthy LaPierre, who created a challenge-based adventure camp for teens with diabetes called “Dream Big”
- Jennifer Scarsi, who toured the country with a grassroots program she created called “Lights, Camera, Cure” to increase diabetes awareness and education and to empower young people with diabetes
Bayer HealthCare, Diabetes Care
Bayer HealthCare, Diabetes Care is a worldwide leader in diabetes, supporting customers in 100 countries. Since the introduction of CLINITEST® reagent tablets in 1941, Bayer has led the way in diabetes care product innovation. The company changed the face of diabetes care in 1969 when it introduced the first portable blood glucose meter and test strips. Bayer HealthCare further innovated diabetes management by being the first company to introduce a portfolio of blood glucose monitors with No Coding™ technology. The BREEZE®2 and CONTOUR® blood glucose monitoring systems offer people with diabetes an unparalleled choice in diabetes management systems. The Arthritis Foundation in the United States and the Arthritis Society of Canada each granted Ease-of Use Commendation to the BREEZE®2 meter. BREEZE® represents the first time a blood glucose meter has been recognized as easy to use for arthritis sufferers.
In July 2006, Bayer Diabetes Care acquired Metrika Inc., maker and manufacturer of A1CNow+, a meter-based diabetes monitoring system for measurement of A1C (glycated hemoglobin) an important indicator of long term blood sugar control. Bayer HealthCare, Diabetes Care global headquarters is located in Tarrytown, New York, in the United States and operates as part of Bayer HealthCare LLC, a member of the worldwide Bayer HealthCare group. www.bayerdiabetes.com/us
Bayer HealthCare
Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma AG. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to inform them to future events or developments.
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