Nashville, Tennessee – (TN Tribune) — The Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation (DMKF),
established in 2012 to raise awareness with diabetes disparities, will present the 2nd
Annual FunFitness Dance Exercise Event on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Camp
Widgiwagan located at 3088 Smith Springs Road, Antioch, TN 37013.
This year’s FunFitness Dance Exercise theme: Glide to the Cha Cha Slide, will have a guest
appearance by DJ Casper, author of the international hit song, as hundreds of participants join in solidarity to a live choreographed routine by one of the former Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders.
The purpose of the event is to promote health, wellness and exercise- one of the major components to combating Type II Diabetes. The event is free and open to the public and will include vendors, cooking demos and sampling, free refreshments, free convenient parking, and a host of adult and kid activities for a day of engaging fun, education, and much more.
“We are committed to spreading awareness on diabetes prevention through the foundation and would like to invite the Nashville community to come out and take part in a fun and worthwhile cause,” stated Rhea Kinnard, president, and founder of the organization. “Because diabetes disproportionately affects people of color, particularly African Americans, the foundation is committed promoting education and arming attendees with pertinent information that can help de-escalate the alarming rise of this debilitating disease,” she added.
The foundation is a partner with other organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee Health Disparity Task Force among others and works to spread awareness through its outreach initiatives. This year’s event sponsors include Healthcare/TriStar Health, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, 353 Media Group, WQQK 92 Q Radio, and Early Eats among others.
According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 40 million people now have diabetes and 90 million are at risk of developing it. Moreover, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States and has come with a staggering cost in excess of $375 billion annually and continues to climb as more people develop the disease. Diabetes is now one of the fastest growing diseases among African Americans affecting youth, women, and the elderly at disproportionate rates than any other ethnic group.
The mission of the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation is to serve as a platform to raise awareness and spotlight problem solving techniques designed to help African Americans better manage diabetes as well as help decrease the number of African Americans who are at risk of developing the disease.
For more information regarding the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation, visit www.dmkf.org or www.dorothymariekinnardfoundation.org
FACTS & FIGURES
• Diabetes is America’s #1 Chronic Health Crisis
• Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.
• Every 21 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes.
• Type II Diabetes accounts for about 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
• Diabetes kills more Americans every year than Heart Disease, AIDS and
breast cancer combined.
• Nearly 40 million people in the U.S. currently have the disease- 12% of the
population.
• 1 in 4 people don’t know they have diabetes.
• More than 90 million people are at risk of getting diabetes.
• More than $327 billion is spent each year to combat diabetes.
• In Tennessee, more than 818,000 residents- 14.9% of the adult population, are
living with diabetes.
• 1 in 3 people are prediabetic and 1.7 million people in our state have
prediabetes.
• Every year, an estimated 38,000 people in Tennessee are newly diagnosed
with diabetes.
