Fifth Annual Big Blue Test Encourages People To Help Others As They Help Themselves

Diabetes health campaign encourages physical activity while providing life-saving diabetes supplies and services to people in need

BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Starting on October 15, when people get active they can also help improve the lives of people with diabetes living in need. By participating in the Big Blue Test between October 15 and November 14 and sharing the experience online at BigBlueTest.org, participants trigger a grant to non-profit organizations serving people with diabetes in need to be used for life-saving supplies, treatments and patient education.

The annual Big Blue Test, a diabetes awareness program of the Diabetes Hands Foundation, takes place in the month leading up to World Diabetes Day (November 14). The Big Blue Test reinforces the importance of exercise in managing diabetes. People with diabetes participate by testing their blood glucose level, getting active for 14 to 20 minutes, testing again, and sharing the results online at BigBlueTest.org or by using the Big Blue Test iPhone and Android app. People without diabetes can participate without reporting their blood glucose level.

The Big Blue Test website aggregates all of the blood glucose data collected and calculates the effect of the physical activity. The results gathered over the past four years demonstrate that just 14 minutes of exercise decreases participant's blood glucose level between 15 and 20 percent on average.

"It's no secret that exercise is good for us," said Manny Hernandez, president of the Diabetes Hands Foundation. "The Big Blue Test data demonstrates the dramatic effect even a little bit of physical activity can have. Plus by participating in the Big Blue Test we get to help people living with diabetes who are in need with grants for life-saving diabetes supplies, treatments, and patient education."

The goal for 2013 is to get 20,000 Big Blue Test results logged by November 14. When this goal is reached, $10,000 in grants will be distributed to nonprofit organizations that serve people with diabetes living in need worldwide.

Two US-based nonprofits, St. Anthony's Medical Clinic in San Francisco, CA and University of Colorado, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Aurora, CO, will receive $2,500 in funding each. An additional $5,000 will be granted to to support projects in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. These grants will be fully funded if the goal of 20,000 results logged online at BigBlueTest.org is reached by November 14, 2013. 

About the Diabetes Hands Foundation (www.DiabetesHandsFoundation.org):  

Diabetes Hands Foundation brings together people touched by diabetes for positive change so that nobody living with this condition ever feels alone.

About the Big Blue Test (www.BigBlueTest.org), a program of the Diabetes Hands Foundation, demonstrates that small changes can improve diabetes health and promotes diabetes awareness. People living with diabetes are invited to test their blood glucose (BG), exercise 14-20 minutes, test their BG again, and share the experience at www.BigBlueTest.org or by using the Big Blue Test iPhone and Android app. Most participants experience an average drop in BG of 15-20%, and each entry translates into a matching donation for lifesaving supplies, medical tests, treatment, and patient education to patients in need through Big Blue Test grants. The Big Blue Test app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Facebook:          www.facebook.com/diabetesHF
Twitter:             @DiabetesHF  

hashtag: #bigbluetest

YouTube:           http://www.youtube.com/diabeteshands

Media Contact: Mike Lawson, Diabetes Hands Foundation, 510.898.1301, mike@diabeteshf.org

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SOURCE Diabetes Hands Foundation

RELATED LINKS
http://www.bigbluetest.org