AGAWAM – In just a few days, thousands of people will gather at Six Flags New England to participate in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) walk and raise money to try to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

The JDRF walk will take place on Oct. 6 at Six Flags. Check in for the 1.5-mile walk begins at 8:30 a.m. with the walk kicking off at 10 a.m.

The walk, according to the JDRF website “gives people with T1D, their loved ones, companies and the local community the opportunity to come together, create change and positively impact lives of those living with T1D.”

Type one diabetes, according to the JDRF website, “is an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly. It has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle – and it's serious and stressful to manage. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D and there is currently no cure.”

Communications Manager for Six Flags New England, Jennifer McGrath, told Reminder Publishing that the Western Massachusetts walk at Six Flags is “one of the larger walks within the Northeast” and “over 5,000” people typically come to the park each year for the event.

While the amount of money raised varies from year to year, McGrath said each year about $400,000 is raised. This year, the goal of the walk is to raise at least $300,000.

The park helps to encourage people to raise money for the JDRF by giving each person or team one free ticket for every $75 raised. However, McGrath said the park only gives away 4,000 tickets total.

She said the Six Flags has a longstanding partnership with JDRF and has partnered with them for “over 50 years.” She continued, “The walk has approached us for so many years. Our president at one point was affiliated with diabetes very close at hand, many of our staff have Type 1 diabetes. We too have families engaged in this community and want to make sure we impact them the same.”

Over the years, McGrath said more than $10 million had been raised by the Western Massachusetts walk for the JDRF.

The biggest variable each year, she said, is the weather because the walk takes place rain or shine. She said, “The cause is important no matter what the weather is. We’re going to walk through it.”

Anyone can be involved in the walk by either pre-registering online at https://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?fr_id=7791&pg=entry or by showing up the day of the event. However, McGrath said pre-registration is encouraged.