After many months of fundraising and making sure they and their gear were ready to hit the streets, more than 700 cyclists and more than 100 runners and walkers participated Saturday in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure.

Volunteers and sponsors, too, were out in full force not only at the Suffolk Executive Airport, where the event was based for the first time, but also at aid stations spread out throughout southern Suffolk and adjacent localities in North Carolina and in support vehicles that made the rounds all along the route.

Most importantly, there were no serious injuries. The weather was beautiful. Plenty of folks from far and wide got to enjoy Suffolk’s beautiful countryside and hospitality.

And significantly, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the American Diabetes Association, which promotes education, research and advocacy for diabetes.

Most folks know the organization works at the local level to educate people on how to prevent and manage the disease. But the organization is also a strong advocate at the national level to urge federal funding of diabetes research and also works to advocate for people who are discriminated against in employment or other areas of life because of their diabetes diagnosis.

With Suffolk and Western Tidewater having higher rates of diabetes, complications of diabetes and deaths from diabetes than most other localities in Virginia, it is important that we continue to welcome the Tour and the American Diabetes Association to Suffolk.

There is still time to donate and have it counted in this year’s Tour numbers. Visit diabetes.org/hrtdc.