CINCINNATI -- Professional golfer Carling Coffing announced today that she will donate five percent of her 2010 professional golf earnings to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ("JDRF").
In making the announcement, Coffing, who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 5, said, "Diabetes has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I hope that through my successes and exposure on the golf course I can be a role model for children with diabetes and show them that all of their dreams are still achievable. This donation to the JDRF is just my first step in what I hope will be a significant role in educating and motivating those with diabetes."
A Middletown, Ohio native and a 2008 graduate of The Ohio State University, Coffing is in her third season as a professional on the Duramed Futures Tour. In her first two seasons, Coffing made the cut in over 70% of her events, with her best finish an 11th place at the Alliance Bank Classic in Syracuse, NY. While at OSU, Coffing was twice named to the Big Ten All-Conference Second Team. Prior to college, Coffing was the winner of the 2002 Ohio State High School Girls Golf Championship.
Coffing will be appearing as a contestant on the Golf Channel's Big Break: Sandals Resorts, which will premiere on Monday, June 21 at 9PM EST. Her Big Break video introduction can be viewed at http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-videos/big-break-sandals-resorts-carling-coffing-13878/?ref=26000&rsec=352.
Medtronic, the world leader in diabetes management solutions, will match her JDRF donation. Coffing added, "I am so pleased to be working with Medtronic and to have them match my donation. I have used a Medtronic insulin pump for a number of years and it has vastly improved the quality of my life."
More information about Carling Coffing can be found on her official website: carlingcoffinggolf.com.
About JDRF
JDRF is the worldwide leader for research to cure type 1 diabetes. It sets the global agenda for diabetes research, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of diabetes science worldwide.
The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly, and can be fatal. Until a cure is found, people with type 1 diabetes have to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin injections multiple times or use a pump - each day, every day of their lives. And even with that intensive care, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications, which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.
Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.4 billion to diabetes research, including $101 million in FY2009. In FY2009, JDRF funded research projects in 22 countries throughout the world, including more than 40 human clinical trials.
For more information, please visit www.jdrf.org.
Media Contacts
Bradley Paskievitch, Paskievitch Athlete Representation (PAR), bradley@paskievitch.com, 614.264.7967
Joana Casas, JDRF, mcasas@jdrf.org; 212.479.7560
Joely Pique, Duramed Futures Tour, 386-274-6279
Jeremy Friedman, Golf Channel, 407.355.4058
