Glucose Grind run raises over $9,000 in support of Island seniors with diabetes

A charity endurance run called the Glucose Grind that wended its way through part of the P.E.I. countryside on Saturday raised more than $9,000 for Island seniors living with diabetes.

The inaugural run began in Kensington and ended in downtown Charlottetown, covering a total of 65 kilometres, though participants had the option of running, walking or biking the entire route individually or as part of a team or completing a shorter segment.

Long-distance runner Geoff Kowalski, who organized the event in partnership with the Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island, is a Type 1 diabetic himself. He said he understands the high cost of living with diabetes, particularly for those who don't have private health insurance.

"A lot of folks who are in the senior category who are dealing with Type 2 diabetes, and where they struggle is with things like food security, continuous glucose monitors, needles and that sort of thing," said the Cornwall man, who completed the equivalent of a marathon and a half in under 7½ hours.

"Especially if we get into those who are not working, those who are low income, on those programs. I think they feel the pinch even more than someone like me — and that's why I wanted to leverage this run into something to help those folks."

Kowalski said his glucose monitor alone costs him $300 a month, while the cost of insulin, needles and the need for three square meals a day are added expenses.

He said the idea for the fundraiser came to him after hearing stories from his wife, a diabetic nurse educator, about circumstances she was encountering.

"She would come home from work and say 'there was this man in and he's trying so hard to manage his diabetes and he can't afford three meals a day.'"

Islander Mike Hogan, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last year, agreed with Kowalski that healthy eating is one of the main concerns for diabetics.

"I do eat a fairly healthy diet, which helps manage diabetes, and just eating healthy is expensive for everybody these days," said Hogan, who entered the 2025 Bath Half Marathon in England to raise money for another organization that funds research for diabetes treatment.

"You can't just eat poorly, because you need to keep your blood sugar in range, and a lot of processed foods and things like that are high in carbs, or high in fat, things like that that aren't good for anybody in general, but even more serious for those with diabetes."

Hogan said in a worst-case scenario, an uncontrolled diet can lead to serious complications for diabetics.

"I don't want to have to lose a toe when I'm older or something like that."

Hogan, an avid runner, hopes to take part in the prestigious Boston Marathon within the next year or two, which requires that he achieve a finish time of three hours and 10 minutes in another qualifying marathon.