Kids’ artwork supporting Diabetes Youth New Zealand

Auckland, 14th Today on the 12th Annual World Diabetes Day, the International Diabetes Federation and Roche Diagnostics announce the winners of the Accu-Chek Global Art Contest for children and teens with diabetes. The winning works of art have been included in a wall calendar to help support Diabetes Youth New Zealand who will receive $5 for every calendar sold.

Included in the calendar are the artworks of Isobelle Rashleigh (age 7) from Te Puke, Liana Taylor (age 13) from Waikanae and Laura Umbers (age 14) from Christchurch who won the national prize for their age group. They each received a pack of goodies including art materials and gift vouchers valued at $300. Their artworks were showcased at the International Diabetes Federation meeting in Paris together with the artworks of children from more than 25 countries.

“The Accu-Chek Global Art Contest was designed to give young New Zealanders with diabetes the opportunity to take part in a global initiative to generate understanding that diabetes can be controlled and need not prevent anyone from doing all the things they want to do,” said Adrienne Taylor, Manager of the Patient Care Division at Roche Diagnostics NZ. “The emotions and ideas expressed in the art entries help parents, healthcare professionals and educators better understand and care for children with diabetes.”

Participants were asked to create an art piece that expressed the theme of the contest “Managing My Diabetes Lets Me Follow My Dreams.” Entries could be a drawing, a painting, a work created on their computer, or any other medium that suited their imagination. Winners were selected from three age groups: 6–9, 10–13 and 14–17.

An international judging panel selected the artworks of Almarona (age 9) from Israel, Francesco (age 12) from Italy and Alexis (age 17) from Panama. They have each won the grand prize of a trip for their family to a Disney theme park. New Zealand’s budding artists will get another chance to win a dream holiday with the announcement today of a second year of the Global Art Contest, the theme for 2004 is “Spirit of Challenge”.

Global Art Calendars are available for $15 from ExtraCare (freephone 0800 802 299).

About ExtraCare and Roche Diagnostics

The New Zealand division of the Global Art Contest is coordinated by ExtraCare, the support programme from Roche Diagnostics for people with diabetes. More than 55,000 people in New Zealand are members of ExtraCare.

Roche Diagnostics, the manufacturer of Accu-Chek products, is the world's leading provider of diagnostic systems and decision-oriented health information. Roche Diagnostics is dedicated to developing technologies and services that help make living with diabetes a little easier.

© Scoop Media