500 walkers step out to battle diabetes

Esther Short — More than 500 walkers participated in the annual Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes event and raised nearly $80,000 for diabetes education, research and advocacy. The Sept. 29 event was organized by the American Diabetes Association. Local sponsors include Peace Health Southwest Medical Center, Waste Connections and Biggs Insurance. Nearly 26 million Americans, including 340,000 in Oregon and Southwest Washington, have diabetes. If current trends continue, one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050.