Zach Prelutsky, United Hebrew

When Zach was deciding on a mitzvah project, he looked to the organization that has supported his family members in the past: the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). JDRF is dedicated to finding a cure for Type 1, juvenile diabetes.

Zach volunteered his time at the JDRF’s 5th Annual Family Retreat, held in February at the Millennium Hotel. The retreat provided a unique opportunity for families with children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes to meet each other, learn about caring for their family members and share their experiences.

Son of Stacey and Alan Prelutsky, Zach spent the day with the children, aged 4 to 7, while their parents attended educational sessions. These kids had lots of fun with him and the other volunteers reading stories, doing crafts, watching movies, playing basketball and jumping on a bounce pad. Zach has a love of working with younger children and he is quite good at it. He really enjoyed interacting with them. He was thrilled that he was able to do something that he loves, playing with little kids, and know that he was helping out the parents as well. Zach also said that even though these kids are dealing with diabetes, they are still normal kids who really enjoy having fun.

Because Zach, a student at Parkway Central Middle School, feels that the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is such a worthwhile organization, he is going to donate a portion of the money he receives from his bar mitzvah.

JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease that strikes children suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump.

Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.16 billion to diabetes research. To make a contribution in Zach’s honor and learn more about the organization, please visit their website at www.jdrf.org or mail to: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 225 S. Meramec Ave., Suite 1032T, St. Louis, MO 63105.