Sunday morning at Friends for Life is our closing Farewell Breakfast. Always a time for tears (definitely lots of happy and sad), hugs, selfies, see-you-next-years, group photos, thank yous, and plans to meet up sooner rather than later. What a wonderful 20th Anniversary Friends for Life celebration this year.

Attendee Statistics

• We had 2,074 registrations.
• 589 people (28%) reported type 1 diabetes. 642 people reported having diabetes (T1, T2, other), or 32%.
• 200 people reported they either have celiac or eat gluten-free (10%).
• 510 self-reported as First Timers (though we know this number is actually higher) as only 686 self-reported as having been before.
• Attendees came from 41 US states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Countries included Canada (63 people!), Colombia, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Panama and United Kingdom (13 people!).

Closing thoughts from Laura

I started to write my Thank Yous as I do every year, by reading last year’s report. It made me cry, as it always does. I thought about the past 20 years of Friends for Life conferences. I thought about how it all started and then changed bit by bit over the years with your ideas … until, well, here we are. Richard Rubin’s voice rings so often in my memory: “When in doubt, find a way to include people.”

Richard, I promise I will keep honoring your most sage advice. We will extend and grow.

From your comments the past week, some clear trends/suggestions emerged:

1. Wednesday is definitely a full conference day, and we should treat it as such. Next year, we will continue to offer all day youth programming, so that your kids are engaged with their groups while you are in the adult sessions. Please don’t skip Wednesday – it’s when your kids will meet others their age through ice breakers and fun team activities. That sets the stage for the learning which happens on Thursday and Friday. Note: We’re arranging for grab-n-go lunches to be available for purchase on Wednesday right by the convention center so that you don’t need to deal with long lines elsewhere.

2. We did have more meet-ups this year, and the comments suggest that you want even more. Guess what? YOU are in charge of that! If there’s a meet-up you’d like to host, speak up! It just takes one person to say, “I’d really like to get together with these people at this time and place,” and it can happen. It’s not a great big giant process. It’s an idea and a person saying “Let’s do this.”

3. There were lots of comments asking if we could have more meals together as a group. Our ability to offer conference meals is entirely money-related. Consider this: Each buffet breakfast at FFL costs about $50/person and each lunch about $60. A Friday morning breakfast at FFL for 2,000 people would cost about $100,000; a Saturday lunch about $120,000. When Board members Stewart Perry and George Huntley talked about fund-raising during the banquet evening this year, these are the kinds of things they were thinking about. We know how important it is to have meals together ... we just need to find creative new ways to fund them. We need your ideas and help.

As I noted in my Welcome letter in the program, this year feels significant in the transitions that are happening. I owe some very special thank you’s to folks who have been with us in leadership positions for years and years and are now stepping back. And I owe similar thank you’s to those who have raised their hands and said, “I’ll do it” and stepped forward to assume leadership. There are some big shoes to fill.

Ashley Head – I can’t remember a time when you weren’t at the helm of the Exhibit Hall. Thank you for stepping up that first year when you saw Jeff and I muddling through ‘How To Run An Exhibit Hall 101.’ We had no idea what we didn’t know until we saw you take charge. Thank you for your professionalism and your friendship. Thank you for taking a week out of your own down time to fly across the Pond year after year to manage the hall and everything in it. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm about all things football. And thank you for your continued leadership with Friends for Life UK.

Rich Meredith – Without hesitation, you said, “Of course, I’d be happy to do it,” and you spent FFL week learning the finer points of running an exhibit hall. You knew most of them already from being in charge of the Exhibit Hall volunteer team the past few years. Thanks for making the transition so smooth, and for ALREADY having new ideas. You rock!

Martin Yaravitz – You didn’t even blink when we asked you to take the helm of All Things IT and AV. This is a huge and incredibly important piece of Friends for Life – it needs to work perfectly 100% of the time the entire week, and most of it is behind the scenes. Your job this year was to organize the hundreds of moving pieces (and people) involved in IT and AV, and to make recommendations for how to move forward next year to make it even smoother. I’m so glad you said yes to this challenge!

Jim Stroud – For the past handful of years, you’ve brought a new level of professionalism and structure to the Retinal Screening area. This allowed Dr. Ben and his team to do what they hope most to do each year at FFL – screen as many people as possible in one short week. It’s an intense schedule with long, long hours. I truly appreciate your huge commitment to the Retinal Screening Team. As you step into a different volunteer role next year, I simply want to thank you!

Rob Freund – When I asked you last week if you’re ready to take the helm of the Retinal Screening Team, you replied, “Absolutely! I thoroughly enjoy working with this team, and look forward to working with you in any capacity necessary.” What a perfect response. Thank you for your enthusiasm and being so quick to say, “I’ll do it!”

Our amazing Food and Beverage Team - Jo Stroud, Kristen O’Dell, Marilyn Fry, Chef Rob Alvarado – Once again you all outdid yourselves. The changes you implemented this year clearly worked well. I know how thankful many of our attendees were because of your attention to portion sizes, carb counts, ingredients and food allergies. Nothing made you skip a beat – you were on top of everything. Side note: Thank you for TWO days of Mickey Bars!

FFL Support Team - A new Tower, a longer schedule, more social activities, the biggest exhibit hall in FFL history, and the largest FFL group yet… so much more for your team to keep an eye on this year. You were there visibly - and behind the scenes. Our leaders and staff felt well-supported and well-trained by you, and our attendees were safe. Your expertise individually and as a team is unmatched. I so appreciate you. I sleep better every night at FFL knowing you’re there.

Dr. Ben – Thank you for caring so very much. We love you.

Registration Teams – We had a new registration system this year, some new processes, and a few new team members. You were so professional and helpful with attendees, staff, faculty, exhibitors, and sponsors. I appreciate your long hours and ability to smile and focus and problem-solve all day long for an entire week.

Youth Program Leaders – I so appreciate the hours and hours and hours you spend making your programs better every single year and working your magic with nearly 800 kids. No one knows the amount of work that goes into pulling off a seamless FFL, from meeting at our Retreat in January, to selecting and training your program staff, to creating exciting materials for your activities. You are the very best, and I’m so proud of the program you’ve created.

DJ Miles – You may be stepping off the stage, but you’re still on the journey with us. We look forward to working with JW, and hope you’ll come hang out with your FFLs next year!

David and Marie Jarcho and Lauren Lanning – Thank you for growing the First Timer's team and providing such great leadership and direction. Finding the perfect way to welcome and guide first timers each year is a moving target, because FFL changes every year. You’re doing a great job, and your team’s full time presence across from Registration was a real plus this year. Thank you for your commitment to helping our first timers feel they are ‘home!’

Sports Central Team – It’s not all fun-and-games, but you make it look that way. Each year, you create that perfect mix of organized sports, supervision, free play time, and education. I heard very positive comments from all levels of FFL participants – adults, kids, attendees, staff. Well done – thank you.

Brenda Hitchcock – Helper in all things, proofreader extraordinaire. Friend. Thank you for all. We don’t say it nearly enough.

Beth Levering – Welcome to the team! Thank you for the long hours and the attention to detail. I’m really happy you’re working with us.

To our brand new Room Captain and IT Teams – The system we had in place this year was a ‘let’s try it and see what happens.’ You did a great job, and I appreciate all the comments/feedback you’ve sent to me and to your team leaders. Let’s put these great ideas in place next year and make it even better!

Liz Dodson – Thank you for being my right hand person and working so closely with me. I appreciate your focus on processes and organization. I also appreciate that you don’t cringe at 300 pages of BEOs. You have some terrific ideas!

FFL Faculty – By sharing your expertise, you make each of us better. Better-informed, better parents, better at managing our own T1D, better friends and partners. Thank you for spending a week with us, answering our questions, and simply being there as a resource. The fact that you’re willing to do this is something that sets FFL apart.

Board Members – Thanks to each of you for caring as you do, and for doing your very best to ensure that Friends for Life thrives and reaches ever more families living with type 1 diabetes, year after year.

CWD Fellows – Thank you for sharing FFL week with us. Remember us as you embark upon your career of caring for people living with type 1 diabetes.

Volunteers – Each one of you (and there were over 200 this year) is so important to the success of Friends for Life. Thank you for spending a very full week helping others enjoy the experience of FFL. Quite simply, we could not hold such an amazing conference without your help and expertise.

Adults with T1 – and your partners and friends – I sincerely hope that Friends for Life is growing in a direction that is meaningful for you. The fact that there were as many adults with type 1 as children with type 1 this year makes me believe this is so. We appreciate your candid feedback. As I said last year, I personally appreciate your leap of faith in recognizing that an organization called Children with Diabetes can and does offer you a home base every July.

I’ll finish my thank you’s as I do every year…

Neal Billetdeaux – You stayed home this year because you know how important it is to me that the house and the Budster are well watched over and cared for, and that I work better when I’m not worrying about that. You’re with me, even when you aren’t. P.S. – it really wasn’t your fault that the deer ate the garden.

Jeff Hitchcock – Yes. Until we all wear orange bracelets.

Carolyn and Sam – Thank you for being the inspiration and the future. In my heart, it all starts with you.

See you all next year. Friends for Life, July 14-19, 2020, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.