Camp PowerUp! – Helping at-risk youth fight type 2 diabetes

The American Diabetes Association welcomed Donna Betzer as the Director of Development, American Diabetes Association, Gulf Coast in January 2016.  Ms. Betzer has an undergraduate degree from Loyola University of New Orleans, and over 25 years of marketing and non-profit management experience.  Prior to accepting this position, she directed Healthy Lifestyle Choices, a nonprofit focused on childhood health education.  Ms. Betzer’s experience in program design and implementation complement her skills in developing corporate partnerships to provide programming for at-risk youth in the Greater New Orleans area while providing visibility for partners in the community.

The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s largest nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.  As the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, type 2 diabetes continues to increase across the country. Considered uncommon a decade ago, type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents now represents one of the most rapidly growing forms of diabetes in the country, especially among African American and Latino youth.  The American Diabetes Association has begun a summer camp series, Camp PowerUp!, that will address the crucial need to educate high-risk youth of the dangers of diabetes and encourage participants to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  Ms. Betzer will discuss outcomes of the Camp PowerUp! evidence-based curriculum Kids N Fitness, developed by Children's Hospital of LA as well as the crucial need to provide quarterly follow-ups with camp participants and their families to reinforce nutrition and physical activity education.