DOROTHY MARIE KINNARD FOUNDATION

Rhea Kinnard is president and founder of the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation, which was established in honor of her mother who lost her battle from complications of diabetes in 2011. Rhea began a journey to better understand the disease and its devastating impact. In 2012, she established the foundation to raise awareness of diabetes which is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. More than 37 million people now struggle with the disease and another 98 million are at risk of acquiring it. The foundation is committed to promoting education to help combat the escalating rise of diabetes especially among African Americans. Since its founding, the foundation has educated thousands of people with knowledge pertaining to diabetes through partnerships and other initiatives in hopes of making a difference.