Organisers were delighted to have more than 100 people don their walking shoes and turn out for Tamworth’s inaugural Walk to Cure Diabetes event.

The Tamworth walk was just one of about 40 held across Australia yesterday to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Tamworth’s Jade Mercer, who together with her brother Callan Elliott, has type 1 diabetes, said she was staggered at the community’s support.

The 27-year-old set herself a fund-raising goal of $250 and was overwhelmed at the generosity that saw her top $1500.

“(The event) was amazing,” she said. “It definitely helped raise awareness about the impact that type 1 has on people diagnosed.”

An estimated 120,000 Australians have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which is an auto-immune condition that prevents the pancreas from making insulin.

Mrs Mercer said her next goal was to establish a type 1 diabetes support group to assist locals living with the disease.