NEW HARTFORD — The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will hold a kick off event for the Sweet Steps Walk to Cure Diabetes. An ice cream social, it’s open to the public at the New Hartford Fire Department, 4 Oxford Road Thursday from 6-8 p.m. with an awards ceremony at 7 p.m.

The Sweet Steps walk will be held on Saturday Sept. 11, at Sherrill Brook Park.

For information about the walk, call 827-4041 or send an e-mail to dolphinbutler6@yahoo.com.

There are an estimated 1,000 local children and 24 million Americans living with diabetes. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is a funder and advocate of type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide.  The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.3 billion to diabetes research, including more than $156 million in FY2008. More than 85 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education.