Team P.J. first joined Breakthrough T1D as a walk team 12 years ago and has been a fixture at our Liberty State Park Walk ever since. We spoke with team captain P.J. Pimpinelli during our registration Team Week to learn more about P.J.’s team, inspiration and more.

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JDRF: When did you first get connected with Breakthrough T1D?

P.J. Pimpinelli: I first got connected with Breakthrough T1D in 2005 when I was a sophomore in high school. I knew that I wanted to start getting involved with fundraising to help find a cure for this terrible disease, and I thought that getting my school involved with the Breakthrough T1D One Walk in the fall would be my best opportunity to do so.

JDRF: How many years have you been participating in the walk?

P.J.: My first walk was in 2005 which means that this year will be my 12th year walking!

JDRF: What is your favorite memory from Walk?

P.J.: My favorite memory from Walk is the location. Liberty State Park is a beautiful site, and it’s great to catch up with members of my team while walking around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

JDRF: Can you tell me the story behind the “Where’s P.J.” T-shirts?

P.J.: Unfortunately, in 2013, I booked a vacation to Jamaica before the date of Walk was announced. Several weeks later the date was released and it just so happened to be the weekend that I would be flying out on my trip. I was devastated when I realized this! I still participated in Walk that year by volunteering at a different site and by walking/fundraising as a virtual walker for my team at Liberty State Park.

We have T-shirts made up for my team every year and there is usually a lot of thought that goes into the shirts each year. My mother came up with the idea of “Where’s P.J.?” and one of my friends, Chelsea Soisson, designed the shirt, which pictured a cartoon character of myself on a beach under a palm tree. It was a fun shirt that everyone laughed about!

JDRF: What keeps you coming back every year – even the years you’ve been unable to attend the Walk?

P.J.: I attend the walk every year because we need to find a cure for T1D and Breakthrough T1D is an extremely worthy organization. I have been living with the disease myself for over 13 years and it is amazing how much has been done throughout the years. We are getting closer and closer to a cure, but we cannot stop fundraising and supporting the cause until that time comes.

JDRF: About how much does your team raise each year? How much has your team raised to date?

P.J.: My team typically raises about $5,000-7,000 each year. We have raised about $67,000 to date since we began walking in 2005.

JDRF: Can you share some fundraising tips? How do you increase your fundraising each year? What strategies work best for you and your team?

P.J.: The biggest tip I can share is that you need to be persistent.

The Walk [participant center] makes fundraising extremely simple. I send out hundreds of e-mails to family members, friends, and coworkers explaining what the walk is and how they can support the cause in some way. I like to explain to everyone what my goal is and how they can help me reach it. I am constantly encouraging my teammates to do the same.

Back when I was in high school I had them involved by doing a two-week period every fall where we had a fundraising competition. Volunteers would go from homeroom to homeroom to sell paper sneakers for $1 each every morning. We updated the school with the totals for each class every morning. The class who purchased the most sneakers at the end of the two-week period won a dress down day (we would normally wear uniforms) where the class could wear casual clothes. It was a fun competition and this alone usually raised about $2,000 each year in a school of about 600 students.

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For additional information on Breakthrough T1D One Walk, visit walk.jdrf.org. For additional fundraising tips for your One Walk team, contact newjerseymetro@BreakthroughT1D.org or call us at (732) 219-6554.