Mother Bethel AME Church
419 South 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Press Release
Contact: Leslie Patterson-Tyler
Phone: (609) 247-2632
Email: Leslie@TylerMadePR.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2011
FIRST LADIES CHALLENGED TO INCREASE DIABETES AWARENESS IN
2ND ANNUAL HEALTH & WELLNESS TEA
‘FIRST LADIES’ OR THEIR CHURCH REPRESENTATIVE FROM MORE THAN
100 PHILADELPHIA AREA CONGREGATIONS (THAT’S MORE THAN 20,000
MEMBERS) are expected to attend a special health and wellness
tea on Saturday May 14, 2011 at 11am at Mother Bethel AME Church
located at 419 S. 6th Streets in Philadelphia.
This is the
second annual First Ladies Health & Wellness Tea sponsored by
the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Last year more than 75
area congregations took part in the event that challenged the
First Ladies to go back to their churches and start diabetes
education and outreach programming.
“Three million African-
Americans have diabetes and one third of them don’t even know
they have it,” says Michelle Foster Program Director for the
local the American Diabetes Association. “It has become an
epidemic in our communities and our goal with this event is to
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increase awareness through fun and interactive programming in
African American churches.”
The local ADA is bringing in Max
“Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek who worked for years as Luther Vandross’
Personal Assistant.
Upon Mr. Vandross’ death, Szadek founded
“Divabetic,” a non-profit Diabetes Education and Outreach effort
that teaches women how to live well with Diabetes.
“Having
Diabetes doesn’t mean suffering with it,” says Szadek.
“You can
make small adjustments in your daily diabetes self-care routine
that can help you to live like a diva!” The tea will outline
specific steps the First Ladies can take to incorporate diabetes
outreach and education into their ministries. The tea will also
feature a Celebrity Hat Fashion Show with some of the latest
spring hat fashions from NStyle Boutique in Berlin, NJ. The
models are radio, TV and newspaper personalities from the
Philadelphia region. Local Pastors will also teach the First
Ladies an innovative technique called “Motion & Devotion” which
incorporates exercise into the period before church filled with
praise and worship. There will also be healthy food provided by
EJ Fisher, “The Dollar Diva”, along with various teas by “Tea
Country,” and a speed-boxing competition with a free hat
giveaway. Mother Bethel’s First Lady Leslie Tyler helped launch
this personal crusade to educate everyone about the importance
of managing diabetes after watching her parents and other family
members suffer with the disease.“Seeing my loved ones give them
selves shots, slip into near comas and having limbs amputated
was enough for me to change my diet and be vigilant about
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serving healthy foods in my home,” says Tyler.
Now she’s hoping
to inspire churches to do the same for Sunday Church dinners.
The event is free for First Ladies or their church
representative.
Space is limited so you must RSVP by calling
Michelle Foster at the American Diabetes Association at (610)
828-5003 ext 4643.
Or you can email your RSVP to
mfoster@diabetes.org.