MacAfee Road School Students Go On ‘Kids Walk To Cure Diabetes’

Alyson Samarel, far left, with some of the MacAfee Road School students who participated in the Nov. 29 “Kids Walk To Cure Diabetes.”

MacAfee Road School students went for a walk on the afternoon of Nov. 29.

All of them.

At the same time.

The occasion was the Kids Walk to Cure Diabetes campaign, for which the students in the pre-K to Grade 4 school raised about $1,100.

The event was organized by Alyson Samarel, the school’s phys ed teacher, and TT Ashiavor, the school nurse – both of whom are members of the school’s wellness committee – at the suggestion of a school parent.

Two MacAfee students have Type 1 Diabetes, Samarel said, and it was their parent who suggested the walk-a-thon.

“We said great, let’s do it,” she said.

The students left by grade from the front of the school building, along a path delineated by white paint that took them around the school property.

Two representatives from the Metro New Jersey and Rockland County chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation – Stacey DiArchangel and Sandy Hilsenrath – were also on hand.

The walk “is so important for what we do because not only does it raise awareness for folks living with Type 1 Diabetes, it raises much needed funds,” said DiArchangel, the chapter’s development manager. “The kids learn a little bit of philanthropy, helping out their community by something like this, and it’s really important. In this school, we have two children with Type 1 Diabetes, so it’s important for that family and for the others to support.”

“We are really excited to be here,” she said.

Samarel said she was happy with the $1,100 raised this year, and has already set her sights on a new goal.

“We’ll probably do better for next year, probably reach $1,500 to $1,600,” she said.

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