The SIB Police “Get wild for the cure”.
By Lieutenant Dwight Snyder, SIB Police Department,
Uniform Services Division

The annual Walk to Cure Diabetes kicked off on Saturday, March 10th at the Miami Metro Zoo in southwest Miami to a theme of “Get Wild for the Cure”. The combined goal this year for the South Florida J.D.R.F. chapter was to recruit 121 teams and raise a lofty $511,000.00 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

As in years past, the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department partnered with the Police Officers Assistant Trust (P.O.A.T.) by joining a team consisting of law enforcement officers from throughout Miami-Dade County as part of the overall P.O.A.T. team. Last year, the P.O.A.T. team was the largest to participate and raised over $50,000.00 for the cure. But as police officers, we will never be satisfied with our past success, so this year the P.O.A.T was committed to raise $75,000.00 over the three month registration period and again lead the pack with the most walkers.

Well, in typical Sunny Isles Beach fashion, the list for volunteer walkers and financial donors was posted and within a very short time completely filled. Officers and civilian employees turned over cash, businesses within the city sent in checks and family and friends from all over the country contributed generously for this worthy life saving cause, again re-emphasizing the commitment and generosity of our police family. In total, the Sunny Isles Beach police officers collected well over $3,000.00 and had 16 walkers participate.

When the day of the walk finally arrived, we were greeted with a beautiful south Florida morning, which was cool and clear. Literally thousands of walkers arrived representing many of Florida’s largest corporations, hospitals and schools, along with police and corrections officers on behalf of their respective teams, all with a united goal of finding a cure for a disease, which claims the lives of more Americans than AIDS and cancer combined. It was truly a “wild” day in the zoo, with the animals feeling somewhat frisky, as the monkeys screeched, the tigers roared and one poor ostrich was misidentified as a flamingo. I guess the animals sensed the enthusiasm of so many happy committed people, some running, walking, or rollerblading along the 5K track around the zoo grounds. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husband and wives all joined with their co-workers and friends to make this a fantastic fun filled event, that when all is said and done, will save lives.

In the end, the P.O.A.T team not only achieved its goal of reaching $75,000.00, but ultimately reached the unbelievable amount of $114,000.00. It’s for this that we say thank you for everyone who donated monies, walked the walk, or contributed their valuable time to this worthy life saving foundation. It’s the fulfillment of our promise to never forget those in need and the importance of giving back to the community we serve. So next year, when you see the walking sneakers logo of the J.D.R.F., please give generously, because together we can find the cure!

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