Winning is everything!

Winning is everything!—Jason Wall and Anton Pratt

Jason Wall and Anton Pratt ferociously compete in everything imaginable.  From sport championships to their own crazy concoctions like the Great Popsicle Relay, one is hard pressed to find two friends so dedicated to winning. Yet nowhere are they more at their very best than in their battle for fund raising supremacy—all for a cure for diabetes. 

As Physical Education and Health Instructors in Phoenix, Arizona's Litchfield Elementary School District, Jason and Anton compete to raise the most money for School Walk for Diabetes—in the nation. Jason, who has type 1 diabetes, teaches at Verrado Middle School, while Anton teaches at Western Sky Middle School.  

Western Sky has been the one of the nation's biggest fundraising middle schools for the past 3 years doing School Walk. Verrado raised over $13,000 its first year, and this year has set the bar for 2009 surpassing Western Sky's 2008 total by $156.

"Schools are constantly bombarded with fundraising requests from many worthwhile causes," Anton said.  "After seeing Jason constantly testing and injecting himself with insulin throughout the day and research showing an 800% increase in diagnosed cases within our very own district, I thought ‘How awesome would it be to be part of the cure?"

They credit the unmatched energy of Anne Dennis, ADA's Arizona School Walk Coordinator (in photo above) and the determination of her son, Preston, a student athlete of both teachers who happens to have diabetes, with their decision for ADA to be the benefactor of their most intricate of competitions.

Their creative ideas and clever antics have helped the two generate more than $71,000 since beginning their respective School Walks.

For example, Jason created an incentive that any student who raised $100 was able to ask a teacher to be his or her waiter at lunch for a day. Students were allowed to wear their own clothes to gym class instead of the school-issued PE uniform.  For every $50 raised, students would receive a raffle chance to win an Xbox or Wii donated by Jason. For going over $14,000 this year, he kissed a pig.

On the other hand, Anton is always trying to one up Jason. In his "Twenty Together" campaign, for every student who raised $20, he would "drop and give them 20 push-ups." Anton did 4680 push-ups in three days while raising $17,000.  The top 6 fundraisers in each grade at Anton's school are treated to time off school and a limo ride to the movies, courtesy of local business partners.  In all, he raised over $9000 worth of raffle prizes from partners to Western Sky walkers this year.

"The applause is deafening and the celebration is truly something to behold when we hang those recognition banners in our gym. Being top in the nation and number 1 in Arizona these years is no small accomplishment. The kids are able to see first hand that they have the power to make the world a better place. We're extremely proud of the lives we have touched and each one of us sees we are going to be a big part of the cure," Anton commented.

"We compete in absolutely everything to the very last breath, the very last whistle and the very last dollar. But the greatest victory for both of us will be the one where our students have a day when they no longer have to worry about their diabetes. We'd be very happy to share that win."