Dancing for Diabetes at Flagler Beachs First Friday

FLAGLER BEACH, Fla., November 11, 2016 During Flagler Beach's First Friday at Veterans Park on Nov. 4, event-goers had a special surprise courtesy of Florida Hospital Flagler: a surprise flash mob!

To celebrate the beginning of American Diabetes Month, a group of volunteers wore blue the color for diabetes awareness and danced to a medley of sugar-themed songs, including Sugar, We're Goin Down by Fall Out Boy, A Spoonful of Sugar from the Mary Poppins movie, Sugar by Maroon 5, and more.

These sugar-songs were a fun way to bring attention to diabetes and the tens of millions of people affected by it, said Laura Gilvary, vice president and business relationship manager for Intracoastal Bank and a member of the Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation Board of Directors. Gilvary's husband has Type-1 Diabetes and shes become very vocal in the community, raising awareness about this disease.

When you have diabetes, you may have high or low blood sugar levels from time to time, and it is important to carefully monitor these sugar levels because having too much or too little sugar in your blood can cause many different health problems, Gilvary said. Not controlling your blood sugar levels can have a huge impact on your overall health by damaging the blood vessels to the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves, causing even bigger health issues, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and nerve problems.

At the end of Flagler Beach's First Friday event, Florida Hospital Flagler raised a diabetes awareness flag, where it will wave all month long.

About Florida Hospital Flagler

Florida Hospital Flagler is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. With 99-beds, Florida Hospital Flagler is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 907 beds and nearly 6,000 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements. For more information about Florida Hospital Flagler, visit www.FloridaHospitalFlagler.com.

Photo Caption:

In celebration of the beginning of American Diabetes Month, Florida Hospital Flagler put on a surprise flash mob during Flagler Beachs First Friday at Veterans Park on Nov. 4. A group of volunteers and the First African Methodist Episcopal Church Youth Choir wore blue the color for diabetes awareness and danced to a medley of sugar-themed songs, including Sugar, We're Goin Down by Fall Out Boy, A Spoonful of Sugar from the Mary Poppins movie, Sugar by Maroon 5, and more.