Driving for Levi's Dog is a fund raising EVENT to raise money for Levi, a 7 year old boy who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes not long ago. Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the body no longer produces insulin; therefore, the type 1 diabetic requires an alternate source of insulin (shots or pumps). Type 1 Diabetes is usually diagnosed before the age of 40. Meals, emotions, physical activity, growth spurts, hormone levels, weather . . . virtually everything. . .effects blood sugar levels in a person with type 1 diabetes. When a Type 1 Diabetic does not feel the warning signals of LOW BLOOD SUGAR (sweating, shaking, nausea, and confusion), they are at an extreme risk. These risks can lead to seizures, brain damage, or passing out while in the middle of something like riding a bicycle. After months of poking Levis finger to check his blood sugar levels every few hours, to the point of waking him up in the middle of the night. Levis parents went looking for alternative solutions, and found that a D.A.D. would be very useful. No they are not looking for a new father, as his Dad is great. Levi is in need of a D.A.D., Diabetic Alert Dog: a service dog that gives a trained signal to alert its partner to low or high blood sugar levels. Properly trained scent dogs have been shown to have 85-90% accuracy in the environments for which they are trained. These environments include at home, in public, and nighttime alerting. When a diabetic experiences a high or low, the body releases chemicals that change the scent of secretions and liquids it produces. Though these are unnoticeable to the human nose, service dogs have little difficulty. A Diabetic Alert Dog, (D.A.D.) is trained for people who are insulin-dependent Type 1 Diabetics. These D.A.D's are trained to utilize their naturally superior sense of smell to react to drops and increases in insulin levels in real time. With all of this being said, Levis family feels that if Levi had a D.A.D. at his side most of the time. The whole family could relax a little more each day as a D.A.D. would know Levis diabetic signs and smells; granting him greater freedom and allowing Levi to lead a fulfilling life. With your help we can help make sure that Levi gets the D.A.D., (Diabetic Alert Dog) that could make his life a little less stressful and a lot more fun.
We are going to plan, and execute a Automotive Poker Run to help raise money for Levi's D.A.D (Diabetic Alert Dog). Let us explain just what we are talking about with a Automotive Poker Run . The Poker Run will start at a pre-determined destination. For the most part it is just like it sounds, a game of poker where the team with the highest hand wins the poker run. Each person will buy however many "Poker Hands" they want to buy, with all proceeds going to the fund that will be used to buy Levi a D.A.D.. The more hands you buy the more chances you will have to win a prize, and the more money we will raise. There will be prizes for not only first place, but second and third places as well. Here is where the changes come in relation to a typical poker game. Before Drive for Levi's Dog begins, a few decks of cards will be shuffled up and each one will be placed in individual sealed envelopes. The envelopes will then be equally distributed to "Levi Stations" that will be located in destinations through out the city of Albuquerque, and possibly the surrounding area. A list of destinations will be handed out as each participant signs in, the list will not be exact as it is more like a scavenger hunt then a speed run. Once the participant finds their way to a "Levi Station" they will be handed one of the envelopes that were mentioned above and asked NOT to open the envelope until they are with an event official at the end destination. The participants will be given four hours total to complete all tasks of finding five total "Levi Stations" to get their cards. Once all participants are at the end location, the hands will be compared and the winning hands will be announced shortly after. The finial destination will be a place where people can gather for fun, as well as display their car if they choose. Although most of the time events like this are designed so that people will have a reason to get a little seat time in their "pride and joy". We want to make sure that you understand EVERYONE in any Car, Truck, Van, SUV, or Motorcycle is welcome. This event is not about the cars, it's about getting a great little boy a little help as well as a best friend. So come out and enjoy this worth while event and donate as much as you can.
