The 14th annual Fathers of the Year Awards Dinner & Gala, presented by Father.s Day Council Tucson, will take place at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort on Saturday, June 14, 2008. This event honors five prominent Tucsonans each year because they are excellent fathers, successful in their professions and dedicated to their communities. This year's honorees are: KC An, Charles Bowles, Mike Kasser, Fletcher McCusker, and Totten K. Warfield, Jr.

The Fathers of the Year awards program not only honors outstanding men, it also raises money to help children with type 1 (formerly known as juvenile) diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. It is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Control of diabetes requires nearly constant monitoring of blood sugar, food intake and exercise, along with several injections of insulin every day. The long-term complications associated with diabetes can be disabling and even fatal. Funding from the 2008 event will benefit type 1 diabetes research and endowment at the Steele Children.s Research Center at The University of Arizona. Thanks to the hard work of Father.s Day Council volunteers, last year.s event raised over $200,000 for Type 1 diabetes research, bringing the total donated to date to over $1.7 million.

Father.s Day Council is proud to make a difference in the lives of children by helping to fund this important team of diabetes researchers.