FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Melissa Newman, JDRF Executive Director
(888) 406-JDRF
mnewman@jdrf.org

JDRF Southwest Ohio Announces Date/Theme of #1 Black Tie Event
The Cincinnatians of the Year Gala: Oz, a Journey to a Cure, honoring Jensen family

CINCINNATI – The JDRF Southwest Ohio Chapter announced today that their annual black tie gala will be held at the Duke Energy Convention Center on Saturday, May 11, 2013. It’s time to break out the red ruby slippers and black tie for The Cincinnatians of the Year Gala: Oz, a Journey to the Cure, honoring the Nan and Keith Jensen family. Acting chairs are Mike and Arohanui Bender of Edgewood, KY. This year’s event promises to blow guests away, attracting nearly 1,000 supporters at the ever-popular gala that raises an average of $1 million dollars each year for JDRF research. Visit http://jdrfswo.org/events for complete event information.

Beginning as early as 6 p.m., guests will follow the “Yellow Brick Road’ of cocktails and silent auction items featuring some of the best and most exclusive products in Cincinnati. From there, they will enter the “Poppy Field,’ otherwise known as the Grand Ballroom, for a three course, gourmet dinner complete with the dinner program, live auction and Fund-A-Cure.  

This year’s gala honorees are the Nan and Keith Jensen family. Keith is the Senior Vice President of American Financial Group, and will retire at the end of March 2013. After learning of their son Andrews’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis, the family instantly became and has remained longtime supporters of JDRF. The family has participated in the Kings island Walk to Cure Diabetes for seven years and was the top family fundraising team for several years.  Andrew was selected to represent Ohio as a delegate in’s JDRF Children's Congress, which is held in Washington DC every other year to meet with members of Congress to encourage support for federal diabetes funding. Nan and Keith Jensen remarked, “The Jensen family is delighted to participate with JDRF in the 2013 Cincinnatians of the Year Gala.  We recognize that our son, Andrew, has received direct benefit from the research that JDRF funds and our family is committed to make a difference in the world of type 1 diabetes.”

Local 12’s Brad Johansen will be the emcee for the evening. Guests will not want to miss the “Emerald City” after party immediately following the gala, beginning at 9:30 p.m. The night will be filled with live music by Swampthang, specialty cocktails, pictures in the photo booth, sweet treats from Gigi’s Cupcakes and additional hors d’oeuvres and coffee bar. The after party is available to Young Professionals at a discounted price. Visit the website for additional details.
The annual Cincinnatian of the Year Gala is held each year in May and attracts 800 attendees. Business Courier’s Book of Lists has ranked the gala “#1 among non-profit galas,” in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, it also tied for the “#2 ranking of all area non-profit fundraising events.”

Registration for the gala is accepted online at https://www.jdrf.org/cincinnatian or by calling (513) 793-3223. Tickets are $250 per person, and corporate table sponsorships are also available. Event proceeds will go directly toward research seeking a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications.

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is now the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF research is to improve the lives of all people affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal.
Since its founding in 1970, JDRF has awarded more than $1.6 billion to diabetes research. Past JDRF efforts have helped to significantly advance the care of people with this disease, and have expanded the critical scientific understanding of T1D. JDRF will not rest until T1D is fully conquered. More than 80 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and research-related education.

For more information, please visit http://jdrfswo.org or connect with us on Facebook (JDRFSWOhio) or Twitter (JDRFSWOhio).

Express Cincinnati article