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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The American Diabetes Association of Tennessee announces the first annual "Coach Mike Munchak's Strikes to Stop Diabetes". The "Pro-Bowling" Tournament will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 14 at the Hillwood Strike & Spare Family Fun Center in West Nashville. Hillwood Strike and Spare is located at 3710 Annex Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209.
Coach Munchak's reason for selecting the American Diabetes Association as the beneficiary is as personal as you can get – his wife Marci has dealt with the disease for over 25 years and the entire Munchak family will be heavily involved in this event to benefit diabetes research.
"I wanted to do a bowling event because it gives the guests more opportunities to spend time with our guys," said Coach Mike Munchak. "Bowling teams will have either a player or coach assigned to their team for every game, and at the end, we'll have some fun competition among the top bowlers plus some very creative ways to recognize the various skill levels for the teams and individual bowlers. When I thought about doing a charity event here in Nashville, my family and I wanted to do one that was special to all of us; one that we can support the local programs for diabetics plus help fund research for a cure."
"We are thrilled to partner with Coach Munchak, his family and the Titans organization on the 'Strikes to Stop Diabetes' event," said Kristie Ryan, Executive Director of American Diabetes Association – Tennessee. Ryan adds "Diabetes continues to be one of the leading health problems across our nation and particularly here in Tennessee. Nearly 10% of Tennesseans (550,000+) are diabetic and that stat is growing as one in three children born in the year 2000 or after will develop diabetes in their lifetime! Current estimates are that more than 25 million Americans are diabetic and approximately seven million of that total has yet to be diagnosed."
The format for the event promises to provide lots of entertainment and interaction with both current and former Titans players and coaches. Teams will consist of four bowlers, and a Titans player or coach will become a fifth member. The teams will bowl three-games and will rotate different members of the Titans during the event. Several sponsorship levels provide the opportunity to draft players from the available pool, a process that will occur the night of the event!
All bowlers will receive a commemorative bowling shirt and a team photo with at least one of your celebrity bowlers! In addition, all of the Titans group will be accessible for you to meet during the night, something that doesn't always happen at celebrity outings!
Team sponsorships are currently available through the American Diabetes Association. Please contact Kristie P. Ryan at 615.298.3066 ext. 3335 or krryan@diabetes.org
About the American Diabetes Association – Tennessee
Diabetes is the leading health problem in the state of Tennessee according to the Tennessee Department of Health. The mission of the American Diabetes Association is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of ALL people affected by diabetes. We work to accomplish this mission through education, advocacy, and research. Over the years, the ADA has invested more than half a billion dollars and provided funding for nearly 4,000 research projects, with a continuing emphasis on training new investigators and pursuing novel strategies for curing, treating, and preventing both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association is currently funding nine researchers across Tennessee for a total of $2,577,839. Locally funded programs include:
• Camp Sugar Falls is the only day camp for diabetic children in Tennessee and is a program of the American Diabetes Association and is held annually at the YMCA's Camp Widjiwagen.
• Diabetes NOW! is an annual educational symposium free to the community featuring speakers, cooking demonstrations, diabetes related products and programs, and health screenings.
• Our Advocacy program provides a voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.
• Our Safe at School program educates families and school staff about appropriate care and treatment of children with diabetes and works to ensure that a diabetic child's needs will be safely met in the school setting, free from discrimination.
• Educational materials are provided at no charge upon request and through more than 250 health fairs statewide.
• The African American Program works to educate the African American population about their increased risk of diabetes through a church related educational series called Project Power. More than 500 churches throughout Tennessee and North Mississippi participate each year.
