American Diabetes Association honors LLUCH’s Dr. Leonard Bailey and three others at 7th Annual Father of the Year

RIVERSIDE >> The American Diabetes Association (ADA) office serving the Inland Empire and Greater San Diego Area has announced the four recipients of the 2016 Father of the Year awards in Riverside. The purpose of this award is to recognize men that have made family a priority, while balancing a demanding career and community involvement. Every year, the local council conducts a nomination process to identify honorees that meet and exceed the criteria. You can learn more about the event and past honorees at www.diabetes.org/inlandempirefoty. Locally, the Father of the Year awards event has raised over a half-million dollars for the American Diabetes Association since its inception six years ago. Nationally the event has raised 30 million dollars to support the ADA’s mission. The four men, who will be honored at the awards dinner on May 18, include: Dr. Leonard Bailey of Redlands, Surgeon-in-Chief at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital; Michael A. Goldware of Riverside, attorney; Vincent Ragsdale of Riverside, Optomitrist at Ragsdale Optometry; and Jim Steiner of Corona, Captain of the Corona Fire Department. Please visit www.diabetes.org/inlandempirefoty for a detailed biography of each honoree. The ADA said each honoree was selected based on their commitment to the community and to family. “We could not be more excited to have these men connected to our cause. They are all exceptional businessmen, community role models, and fathers,” said Molly Soliman, Development Manager of the American Diabetes Association, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. “These men have joined a fraternity of incredible leaders, not only in our community, but nationwide. They deserve to be recognized for being exemplary fathers, community leaders, and for their commitment to raise funds and awareness of our mission to Stop Diabetes.” The ADA will host its 7th annual Father of the Year Awards beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, at Riverside Convention Center, 3637 5th St., Riverside. Tickets begin at $150 per person and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Molly Soliman at (619) 234-9897, ext. 7435, or msoliman@diabetes.org. ABOUT FATHER OF THE YEAR: The Father of the Year Awards program, presented by the Father’s Day Council and benefiting the American Diabetes Association, honors fathers in the U.S. who have demonstrated the ability to balance their personal lives, serve as role models of strength, commitment and love for their children and help make positive contributions to their communities. The New York-based Father’s Day Council, which began the awards in 1942, designated the ADA as its charity partner in 1999. The Riverside ADA council began its Father of the Year awards in 2009. ABOUT THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION: Diabetes is a serious, life-threatening and incurable disease that can lead to loss of life or complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and amputations, if untreated. It is the seventh leading cause of death by disease. Nearly 29.1 million or 9.3% of Americans have diabetes and at least 86 million have pre-diabetes. More than one-third of people with diabetes are undiagnosed. In Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, approximately 1.6 million people have diabetes or pre-diabetes. The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization concerned with diabetes and its complications. Founded in 1940, the ADA provides services in communities nationwide.