Hamilton Building Supply raises funds, awareness in fight against diabetes
Hamilton Building Supply honored diabetes awareness month in November while raising funds to fight the disease.
The Hamilton, N.J.-based prodealer held a campaign to support Type 1 Diabetes through the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
Type 1 Diabetes is a rare form of diabetes with no cure and affects about 1.5 million people in the United States, including 200,000 children under the age of 18.
“We sell building materials, but we’re in the business of working with people,” said John Perna, president and co-owner of Hamilton Building Supply. “Supporting a cause that’s bigger than building materials is something that we take a lot of pride in.”
Perna noted that Type 1 Diabetes was a strong cause to draw attention to because of the strength and personal resilience required by Type 1 Diabetics living with the disease.
Type 1 Diabetics rely on regular injections of insulin and constant blood sugar monitoring every day in order to survive. Medical devices like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors are effective in helping Type 1 Diabetics manage the disease, but they are painful to apply and expensive to purchase.
Additionally, Type 1 Diabetics deal with more needles or shots in one day than an ordinary person does in one year.
Hamilton Building Supply raised money for the JDRF, the leading organization for T1D advocacy, by promoting the drive through social media, emails, and conversations with customers, partners, and employees.
Hamilton Building Supply matched every dollar donated and raised $33,747 in total for Type 1 Diabetes awareness.
“I was in awe of Hamilton Building Supply’s campaign and how far in the community it reached. This initiative inspires Type 1 Diabetics, educates the surrounding community, and supports the JDRF mission to improve lives every day,” said Amanda Vinciguerra, development coordinator at JDRF Greater Delaware Valley Chapter.
Hamilton Building Supply capped off their campaign by hosting an event at Killarney’s Publick House, a popular bar and restaurant in Hamilton. Patrons had a chance to win prizes and enjoyed live music with Jon Jacob, who is also Hamilton Building Supply’s Architectural Sales Manager.
“When I talked to John about the fundraiser, I wanted to get my band involved to support the cause and help bring our community together for a fun night,” Jacob said.
“I’m so proud of everyone in our company, our partners and the Hamilton community who got behind our fundraiser for Type 1 Diabetes this November,” Perna added. “We supported a great cause for a deserving population, and we had a lot of fun along the way”, said Perna.
Hamilton Building Supply is an independent dealer of residential and commercial building materials founded in 1924. The company serves a customer base throughout New
Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The company is a co‐operative member of Lumbermen’s Merchandising Corporation (LMC) and the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association (NRLA).
