Children's Congress - for Type 1's ages 4-17

Hey everyone,

I got started with diabetes advocacy by being a delegate at JDRF's Children's Congress (http://cc.jdrf.org) in 2003 - and now that Children's Congress 2011 is right around the corner, I just wanted to kind of reach out and let people know what a wonderful opportunity this is!

Anyone who is 4-17 years old and has Type 1 diabetes can apply to go to Children's Congress. About 150 kids are selected, and they all get to travel to Washington, DC and attend meetings with legislators on Capitol Hill to explain why we need federal funding for diabetes research so we can find a cure. A few delegates get to testify at a Senate hearing on diabetes, and everyone also has the opportunity to meet celebs with Type 1 (such as Nick Jonas, who came to Children's Congress in 2009).

For those of you who have been to CWD's Friends for Life, just imagine a similar event taking place in Washington, DC - with the same feeling of a close community getting together to do something about this disease and make lifelong friends at the same time (alas, there is no exhibit hall!). I really, really enjoyed my experience in 2003. The Children's Congress website (where you will find more details, and the application) is http://cc.jdrf.org/.