Spencer Torres giggled as a carnival worker tied a teal blindfold over his eyes Sunday afternoon.
The 5-year-old wasn’t playing pin the tail on the donkey, he was playing pin the pump on the person. He gripped a velcro insulin pump and waddled toward an outline of a person during the first annual “Hey Neighbor!” carnival at Magnolia Parke.
Torres and his family joined about 1,000 people at the carnival, which was hosted by the UF Diabetes Institute and the UF chapter of the College Diabetes Network, to celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month. The free event included bounce houses, live music and food trucks.
Despite Torres’ perfect aim, the game wasn’t his favorite part of the day.
“My favorite part was to get this blue balloon,” Torres said.
The institute raised more than $1,000 throughout November to host the carnival, said Gina Aulisio, the institute’s operations and engagement coordinator. The carnival was sponsored by Novo Nordisk, Suwannee American Cement, Taste Pho & Noodle House and One Love Cafe.
Aulisio said her mother was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a decade ago. She said her mother’s experience influenced her work with diabetes research.
“I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for my mom,” she said.
Sam Huber, a 20-year-old UF international studies sophomore, hosted a game for kids to guess the number of carbs in foods like a Chick-fil-A sandwich.
Huber was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 3 and said the disease is always in the back of his mind.
“It’s the first thing you think about in the morning,” he said. “Roll out of bed — check your blood sugar.”
Huber was excited to see kids asking questions. The carnival helped curb misinformation about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, he said.
“For events like this, even if it teaches like one person more about what this disease is really like, I think it’s amazing,” Huber said.
Volunteer Drew McCullough, 18, laughs as she watches a child fish for prizes during Sunday's “Hey, Neighbor!” carnival held at Magnolia Parke Square. McCullough, a UF sociology freshman, was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and received support from the UF Diabetes Institute's support group. The institute, along with UF's College Diabetes Network chapter, hosted the event to celebrate National Diabetes Awareness Month.
