Wanting to honour their late father who lived with diabetes for the last 20 years of his life, and also wanting to give to a good cause, sisters Jodie Gagola and Jenn Larrazabal fired up the barbecue, turned up the tunes and invited all their friends and family to a Diabetes Summer Surge fundraiserin St. Andrews, Manitoba.
After returning to the Winnipeg area after living in Alberta for a number of years, Jodie decided that her new property just outside the city would be the perfect venue for a summer gathering/homecoming. Jenn, who volunteers with the Canadian Diabetes Association in Winnipeg, thought adding the Diabetes Summer Surge to the fun would be a perfect fit, and so “Jodie & Jenn’s Summer BBQ” was born.
“Moving back here, I’ve had a need to get involved in my community,” says Jodie. “Having family members affected with this disease has allowed me to connect with the Association and I want to help in any way I can.” She says that her overall reason for hosting an event is to promote healthy living and raise money and awareness for diabetes, adding that it’s also a great reason for a “housewarming with a twist – donations instead of gifts!”
