Spare a Rose, Save a Child 2020

By Renza Scibilia and Chris ‘The Grumpy Pumper’ Aldred

Every February the Spare a Rose, Save a Child campaign raises funds to provide insulin and other diabetes supplies to children with type 1 in under-resourced countries. Spread the word today to make a difference

Throughout February each year, the diabetes online community (#DOC) assumes a rose-colored hue as people around the world share details of Spare a Rose, Save a Child. You may already know how the campaign works: for Valentine’s Day, send your loved one eleven roses instead of twelve, and make a donation to Spare a Rose with the dollars saved. That donation goes straight to Life for a Child, to provide one month of insulin to a kid in an under-resourced country.

It really is as easy as that, and the impact of every single donation is huge.

Every single cent raised by the #SpareARose campaign goes directly to Life for a Child

Life for a Child (LFAC) is a non-profit organization that provides insulin, diabetes supplies, and education to children with type 1 diabetes in under-resourced countries. In some countries the average life expectancy of a child newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is less than twelve months, due to lack of access to insulin. Last year, LFAC helped over 21,000 children in 42 countries around the globe.

Over the last six years, Spare A Rose has raised almost $190,000 for Life for a Child, primarily donated by people living with, or affected by, diabetes.

How to take Spare a Rose to the next level

Last year’s campaign raised $56,340, which was enough to provide insulin and diabetes education for 939 young people. Spare a Rose 2020 has an audacious target; to get there, we need as many people as possible to not only be aware of the campaign, but also to donate. We need to tell our families, friends, colleagues, teammates … everyone!

What can you do?

• If you can donate, please do! The beauty of Spare a Rose is that even very small donations make a huge difference. $5 provides a whole month of insulin.

• Tell people about Spare a Rose!  While the campaign really peaks on Valentine’s Day, the whole month of February is a great time to talk it up.

• Chat with your employer. Some companies offer donation matching which means that for every staff contribution, the organization makes a donation of the same amount.

• Host a coffee or tea gathering, lemonade stand, bake sale, or another event where people can donate to Spare a Rose. Last year, Renza made cookies to encourage people to donate and Grumps even smiled for the camera!

• Social media drives Spare a Rose. The campaign lives on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other social media platform where people with diabetes gather. Use it for good and share the link for donation, as well as details about how people’s donations help. You can find social media content for the campaign here.

The diabetes community at its very best

The diabetes community is an amazing source of peer support for all of us living with diabetes. Spare a Rose shows just how committed we are to supporting others living with the condition. This is a diabetes community campaign – owned by each and every person with and affected by diabetes – and that is one of the real strengths of this initiative.

Everyone can contribute, and every single contribution is important. No donation is too small. While Life for a Child receives all funds raised during the month-long Spare a Rose campaign, it is the diabetes community that sustains the activity, encouraging donations and support from people affected by diabetes. When we come together, we really can achieve great things.