Diabetes Foundation honors Henry D. Burns Sr. with walk

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Diabetes Foundation honors Henry D. Burns Sr. with walk
August 02, 2008 11:49 pm
The Meridian Star

When people think of the late Henry D. Burns, Sr., they think about his love for his hometown of Meridian, his generous spirit and his community involvement and service.

That’s why Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes will be held in his honor this year on Sunday, Oct. 19 at Bonita Lakes Park.

“Our hope is that Henry’s generosity will inspire others to give generously as well – with the tremendous support of the community, this year’s Walk for Diabetes will be the biggest and best Walk to date! What better way to memorialize Henry than to give freely and to encourage your friends and family to participate as well?” said Erin Everett, Diabetes Foundation regional coordinator for Meridian.

Burns passed away in 2007 from diabetes-related complications, and so the mission of the Diabetes Foundation is personal to his family, who has a long history of diabetes, said Burns’ son David Burns.

“Both my grandfather and great-grandmother had diabetes,” he said. “And my dad dealt with diabetes for a long time.”

The Burns family has joined the Diabetes Foundation in promoting diabetes awareness and prevention in the greater Meridian area.

“There are so many people who are unaware that they have diabetes,” Burns said.

He said that he encourages all of Meridian to join the Foundation in raising money for the Foundation’s patient-assistance and educational programs for children and adults with diabetes. This is also a great opportunity to bring the spotlight to one of the most serious health risks facing Mississippians – diabetes, he said.

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi is committed to providing a good quality of life and helping hand to Mississippians whose lives have been touched by the disease. Through patient assistance, diabetes camps for children, community health fairs, educational programs for patients and health-care providers, school programs and support groups, the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi fulfills its promise to serve all Mississippians with diabetes – from the youngest child to the oldest senior citizen.

The Diabetes Foundation is planning a Meridian Walk team-captains’ meeting for Tuesday, Aug. 5 at noon to be held in downtown Meridian. Anyone interested in forming a team and representing a business, school, church or other organization should call Everett at (601) 957-7878 for more details, or visit www.msdiabetes.org for more information about ways to get involved in the fight against diabetes.

© 2006, The Meridian Star