Anthony Fletcher

This spring, Brad Helferich will fire up the barbeque in a tradition he started eight years ago, shortly after he first joined the Tour de Cure^®—one of two signature fundraising events sponsored by the American Diabetes Association and held across the United States each year.

The 38-year-old Red Rider^®, as Tour cyclists with diabetes are honored, puts on fundraising barbeques the weekend before the Minneapolis Tour de Cure each year. More than 100 riders gather to eat, play games, and support the Association’s efforts to raise money for diabetes research, education, and awareness. “We get a lot of donations and have a lot of fun,” Helferich says. Last year, his barbeque raised over $15,000 for the Association.  

Tour de Cure and Step Out^® Walk to Stop Diabetes^® (participants are called Red Striders^®) are the Association’s biggest fundraisers. They’re also great opportunities for people with diabetes and their loved ones, friends, and coworkers to show their support. Case in point: Last October, at the Step Out walk in Montrose Harbor, Illinois, the My Future Starts Now team raised more than $10,000. The team was headed by Anthony Fletcher, 52, who has lived with type 2 diabetes for 17 years.

“You have folks doing well, sharing their success stories and giving you helpful tips,” Fletcher says of the event. “Everyone walks away encouraged, inspired, and wanting to do better with managing diabetes.”

Find a team, or start your own. Here are the events scheduled through 2017:

Alaska
Anchorage, June 4 Tour de Cure

Arizona
Phoenix, Nov. 4 Step Out

Arkansas
Bentonville, Aug. 19 Tour de Cure

California
Coachella Valley, Oct. 28 Step Out
Inland Empire, Nov. 18 Step Out
Los Angeles, June 10 Tour de Cure
Magic Mountain, Nov. 4 Step Out
Napa Valley, May 7 Tour de Cure
Silicon Valley, June 11 Tour de Cure
San Diego, April 29 Tour de Cure

Colorado
Denver, Sept. 9 Tour de Cure

District of Columbia
Washington, Sept. 23 Tour de Cure

Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Oct. 21 Step Out
Jacksonville, Nov. 18 Step Out
Tampa, Oct. 7 Step Out

Georgia
Atlanta, June 3 Tour de Cure

Illinois
Chicagoland, June 11 Tour de Cure
Chicagoland, Sept. 30 Step Out

Indiana
Indianapolis, Oct. 7 Tour de Cure

Iowa
Cedar Rapids, June 24 Tour de Cure
Des Moines, June 10 Tour de Cure

Kansas
Kansas City, June 4 Tour de Cure
Wichita, April 29 Tour de Cure

Kentucky
Lexington, June 3 Step Out

Louisiana
New Orleans, June 3 Tour de Cure

Maine
Kennebunk, June 11 Tour de Cure

Maryland
Baltimore, Oct. 1 Step Out
Chesapeake Bay (Easton), May 21 Tour de Cure
Frederick, Oct. 8 Step Out
Greater MD, May 6 Tour de Cure

Massachusetts
Boston, Oct. 21 Step Out
North Shore (Topsfield), May 21 Tour de Cure
Woburn, July 15 Tour de Cure
Worcester, Sept. 24 Step Out

Michigan
Detroit, June 3 Tour de Cure
Detroit, Aug. 26 Step Out
Grand Rapids, Sept. 30 Tour de Cure

Minnesota
Twin Cities, June 3 Tour de Cure

Missouri
St. Louis, June 3 Tour de Cure

New Jersey
Basking Ridge, June 4 Tour de Cure
Princeton, June 25 Tour de Cure

New York
Buffalo, June 3 Tour de Cure
New York City, Fall Tour de Cure
Saratoga Springs, June 4 Tour de Cure
Verona Beach, June 11 Tour de Cure
Webster, June 10 Tour de Cure

North Carolina
Charlotte, Sept. 16 Tour de Cure

Ohio
Cincinnati, July 23 Tour de Cure

Oklahoma
Tulsa, June 3 Tour de Cure

Oregon
Portland, July 29 Tour de Cure

Pennsylvania
Greater Philadelphia (Ambler), June 3 Tour de Cure
Philadelphia, Nov. 4 Step Out
Pittsburgh, July 23 Tour de Cure
Pittsburgh, Sept. 30 Step Out

Rhode Island
Ocean State, June 4 Tour de Cure

South Carolina
Columbia, May 20 Tour de Cure

Tennessee
Nashville, Sept. 16 Tour de Cure

Texas
Dallas/Fort Worth, Oct. 14 Tour de Cure
Houston, Sept. 23 Tour de Cure
Lubbock, Sept. 23 Step Out
San Antonio, Fall Tour de Cure

Utah
Brigham City, June 10 Tour de Cure

Virginia
Glen Allen, Oct. 21 Step Out
Hampton Roads, April 29 Tour de Cure
Hampton Roads, Oct. 7 Step Out
Reston, May 13 Tour de Cure

Washington
Seattle, May 21 Tour de Cure

Wisconsin
Madison, Sept. 16 Tour de Cure
Milwaukee, July 22 Tour de Cure