American Diabetes Association and The Blind Boys of Alabama Celebrate the Holiday Season

American Diabetes Association and The Blind Boys of Alabama Celebrate the Holiday Season Proceeds from Christmas Album Donated to Diabetes Research, Information and Advocacy Efforts WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Diabetes Association is proud to announce the new release of a diabetes public service awareness (PSA) campaign featuring the three time Grammy Award-winning legends of gospel music, The Blind Boys of Alabama. Members of The Blind Boys, some of whom have lived with diabetes for over 20 years, are raising awareness about the risk factors for diabetes and are encouraging Americans to find out if they are at risk for diabetes. The Blind Boys are also taking this opportunity to reach people in their home state of Alabama to learn more about diabetes as Alabama is currently one of the states with the highest rates of diabetes. In addition, Alabama is one of four states that has not passed the Diabetes Cost Reduction Act (DCRA), which will require Alabama insurance programs to cover the diabetes equipment, supplies and education that are crucial for the management of diabetes. "Many people are touched by the Blind Boys of Alabama's music, but having them share their personal insight about living with diabetes is also very inspirational," said Lynn B. Nicholas, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, American Diabetes Association. "We are very grateful to the Blind Boys of Alabama for helping us spread the gospel about the seriousness of diabetes and its complications, and also very thankful for their ongoing generosity and support of our mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes," added Nicholas. All three founding members of the group -- Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and George Scott -- have type 2 diabetes and were all diagnosed around the same time during their rigorous performing career. In the exclusive online video on http://www.diabetes.org/blindboys , these three gentlemen share their personal stories of just how shocking it was to learn about their diagnosis, and how they have overcome that challenge to live fulfilling lives with diabetes. More than 18 million Americans have diabetes; however, over 5 million Americans don't know they have the disease. In fact, diabetes can begin to cause damage to the body long before any symptoms arise. Some symptoms include blurred vision, frequent urination, unusual thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, cuts and bruises that are slow to heal, frequent infections and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. Over time, excess amounts of glucose (sugar) in the blood can lead to damaging complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease and lower limb amputations. While taking their diabetes control very seriously, and further encouraging others to do the same, Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter and George Scott wish to stress that their blindness is not diabetes-related. Diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States, and more than a million people develop the disease each year. Diabetes cost the country $132 billion in 2002, up from $98 billion in 1997, and despite aggressive research efforts, there remains no cure in sight. The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit http://www.diabetes.org/blindboys. For more information about the group and to purchase their Grammy Award- winning Christmas release "Go Tell It On the Mountain" on Real World Records, please visit http://www.blindboys.com/. The Blind Boys of Alabama have agreed to donate a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this album to the American Diabetes Association. This album features an eclectic array of guests including Aaron Neville, Tom Waits, Solomon Burke, Chrissie Hyde, Mavis Staples and Shelby Lynne among others. Source: American Diabetes Association CONTACT: Genea Luck of the American Diabetes Association, +1-703-299-2077; or Hardy McBee of Blind Boys Management, +1-404-812-3932 Web site: http://www.diabetes.org/ http://www.blindboys.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment