Wear Your Heart on Your Wrist to Cure Diabetes
December 7, 2005

Australia's largest surfing retailer, City Beach, is encouraging its customers to wear their heart on their wrist this summer. The current 'must have' fashion item is the range of colourful wristbands being sold exclusively in City Beach stores to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

The wristbands are already extremely popular with City Beach customers since hitting their 43 stores nationwide just a few months ago. Since September, over 75,000 wristbands have been sold, resulting in a donation of $92,000 to JDRF. Every wristband sold brings us closer to finding a cure for type 1 (juvenile) diabetes.

Mike Wilson, CEO of JDRF, said, "We are delighted that City Beach has chosen to support JDRF in this way and that the wristbands are proving to be so popular. One in 700 children in Australia has type 1 diabetes and most people are diagnosed during their childhood and early adulthood. So the importance of finding a cure for this terrible disease is something that a lot of City Beach customers can relate to.

"Diabetes can't be prevented and its causes have nothing to do with diet and lifestyle. We're working to find a cure so children and adults with diabetes no longer have to endure multiple daily injections, blood glucose tests, life threatening 'hypos' and the fear of developing serious complications."

Chris Somerville, City Beach's national marketing manager said, "As the store of choice for the 10 - 26 year old demographic City Beach prides itself on its support of youth charities and initiatives relevant to our staff and customers.

"The charity wristband concept is an awesome way to deliver a win-win situation for the charity and our customer. We estimate that the popularity of the items will continue through summer and our projections anticipate over $100,000 will be raised directly for JDRF."

The wristbands come in 8 colour choices (pink, white, yellow, green, red, navy, sky blue and black) and are available exclusively from City Beach stores across Australia for $2.95 each. To find your nearest store visit www.citybeachsurf.com.au. For more information about JDRF and type 1 diabetes visit www.jdrf.org.au.

ENDS

Photo attached:
Fourteen year old JDRF Youth Ambassador Amy Campbell is a big fan of the colourful wristbands. Amy has type 1 diabetes and is a spokesperson for JDRF.

For further information:

Karolyn Andrews, Media & PR Manager, JDRF
Ph. 02 9966 0400 (x203) or 0403 787 077 | email: kandrews@jdrf.org.au

About JDRF:

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the world's largest not-for-profit supporter of diabetes research, investing $130 million in the search to find a cure for type 1 diabetes each year. JDRF was founded in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, a disease which strikes people suddenly, makes them dependent on multiple daily injections of insulin to survive and at risk of devastating health complications like blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and amputation.