By Tom Bessant, Chief Financial Officer

In 11 years, Cash America has donated more than $1.6 million to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). But we didn’t do it alone.

Since 2000, the success of our JDRF fundraising campaign has depended on Cash America’s finest…our customers. One sneaker at a time, one dollar at a time, customers from around the country donate to help JDRF’s mission of finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.

“When the idea first came about to sell paper sneakers in our shops, people were hesitant,” said Cash America CFO Tom Bessant who is a parent of a type 1 diabetic. “They feared that the general perception of our customers might imply that they might not have many opportunities to be charitable and would impact our ability to raise money. Boy, were they wrong.”

Our customers are sincere and it shows in the most recent JDRF campaign—that wrapped on October 22—which raised more than $420,000.

For the six-week long campaign, colorful paper sneakers lined the walls of our shops demonstrating the kindness our customers have for their communities. After all, the donations collected are returned back to their community through the local JDRF chapter.

So, we thank you, our shoppers with “sole”, for the opportunity to contribute to the communities in which we live and work. You continue to do us—and many others—proud.

JDRF is the worldwide leader in funding research to cure type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly and lasts a lifetime. Since its founding in 1970, JDRF has awarded more than $1.5 billion to T1D research. For more information on JDRF, contact us or visit the website www.jdrf.com.