MEDIA CONTACT: Brandy Barnes, 919-361-2012 or director@diabetessisters.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DiabetesSisters' Weekend for Women Conference Features Social Media Meetup Friday, April 25 - Open to the Public
April 3, 2014 - Washington, DC - DiabetesSisters announces a "Social Media Meetup" featuring Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (DSMA) Live radio program on Friday, April 25, 2014 at the Embassy Suites Old Town - Alexandria. This event, which is open to the public and geared toward connecting people with diabetes, will take place from 8-9 p.m. and kicks-off the DiabetesSisters Weekend for Women Conference.
“We are thrilled to be working with DiabetesSisters again this year. It’s an honor to kick-off such a dynamic conference that impacts so many people with diabetes,” said Cherise Shockley, the creator of DSMA. “This is an opportunity for us to partner with DiabetesSisters on our common missions of bring people together to talk about diabetes and support one another as we live with this chronic disease.”
Previously held in North Carolina and California, this will be the first year for DiabetesSisters to present the Weekend for Women Conference in the Washington, DC area. Open to all women with diabetes (pre-diabetes, type 1, type 2, LADA, gestational), the goal of the event is to educate, inspire and transform women's views of diabetes so they can live full, happy lives with the disease.
Participants will enjoy three days full of educational sessions in four areas of focus including: emotional and social wellbeing; health and nutrition; tools and technology; and exercise and physical fitness. The presentations will be given by many well-known advocates from the diabetes community and leading experts like Claudia Graham, MPH, PhD; Rhonda Merwin, PhD; Diana Naranjo, PhD; Susan Weiner, RD, MS, CDE, CDN; Ginger Vieira, and Kerri Sparling. A detailed agenda can be found at: http://www.diabetessisters.org/2014dc.
Registration for the Weekend for Women Conference is $200. Attendees can secure their spot with a $75 non-refundable deposit and have the option of raising the remaining $125 balance.
Partners (spouses, significant others) of women with diabetes are also encouraged to participate in a unique program created specifically for partners of women with diabetes. The Partners Perspective program will take place in the same hotel and provides partners a forum to better understand the physical and mental challenges they face daily. Through networking and information sessions, partners gain a better understanding of how to better support their partner in managing diabetes. Registration for the Partner’s Perspective program is $75.
In addition to the Conference in Washington DC, DiabetesSisters will also present the Weekend for Women Conference and the Partner’s Perspective Program in Chicago, IL on August 22-24 and Los Angeles, CA on October 24-26.
Sanofi is the National Premier Sponsor of the 2014 Weekend for Women Conference Series. Additional conference sponsors are Novo Nordisk, Tandem, and Dexcom.
About DiabetesSisters
A 501c3 nonprofit, DiabetesSisters is the only organization worldwide focusing exclusively on women with diabetes. Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life of women with diabetes and those at risk of developing diabetes, and to advocate on their behalf. DiabetesSisters has a 10,000-member peer network that unites women with diabetes for the purpose of support, education and advocacy. Signature programs include monthly small group meetings (PODS Meetups) throughout the U.S. and Canada; Weekend for Women Conferences throughout the U.S.; the orange:will national advocacy campaign; Partner’s Perspective Program; and online blogs, forums and expert resources. For more information, visit http://www.diabetessisters.org.
About Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (DSMA)
DSMA is a program of the Diabetes Advocacy Foundation. Its mission is to promote social networking in all its forms (Facebook, twitter, YouTube, etc) in order to educate and support all people affected by diabetes. The diabetes online community has the opportunity to share and understand the challenges of physical, mental and emotional needs of this chronic condition. For more information, visit http://diabetescaf.org/.