On June 27, Breakthrough T1D will host the first event in its 2026 Summer Series at Core Creek Park in Langhorne park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This annual free outdoor picnic is designed for individuals and families living with type 1 diabetes, commonly known as T1D, offering a welcoming environment where attendees can meet others who understand the daily realities of the condition.
The event includes food, games, crafts, resource guides and opportunities to connect with volunteers and other families. Organizers say the gathering is intentionally relaxed and community-focused, allowing attendees to form friendships and support networks that often continue long after the event ends.
“You’ll find support, shared experiences and lots of encouragement at this Summer Series event,” said Megan Dougherty, outreach and operations director for the Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey territory of Breakthrough T1D. “This is your chance to connect with other people who truly understand this type 1 journey, build new friendships and enjoy a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.”
The Summer Series began in 2022, shortly after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many families living with T1D had experienced years of isolation. Because many individuals with type 1 diabetes are immunocompromised or considered medically vulnerable, families often remained especially cautious during the pandemic years.
“We really tried to bring back events to our community because, like everyone else, we were stuck at home and isolated for quite some time,” Dougherty said. “These were easy opportunities to safely get families outside and reconnected, or just in general connected with each other.”
Breakthrough T1D continues to host multiple large fundraising events throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, including major walk events across the chapter footprint. However, some of the smaller walk events, including one nearby in Warminster, were discontinued following the pandemic. The Summer Series emerged as a way to continue supporting local families in a smaller, more personal setting while still fostering connection within the local T1D community.
“We wanted to ensure that we were still there for those families,” Dougherty said. “We have been here online, but being online and being in person is definitely quite different.”
According to Dougherty, Langhorne became a natural fit for the event after families in the area overwhelmingly recommended Core Creek Park as a gathering place.
“We actually surveyed quite a few of our families within that area and the families that used to attend the walk we had in Warminster and asked them where they like to go,” she said. “It was a pretty unanimous vote that Core Creek Park was a great place to be.”
The park’s central location and family-friendly atmosphere were major factors in the decision.
“It seemed very easy for families to spend time with us at the event and then stay and hang out afterward with a new family or friend they met,” Dougherty said.
The Langhorne gathering is the first of four Summer Series events planned across Breakthrough T1D’s territory, which includes eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Additional events will take place in Allentown, PA; Cherry Hill, NJ; and Bear, Delaware through August 16.
While the Summer Series remains smaller than the organization’s large-scale fundraising walks, Dougherty said that smaller size is often what makes the events meaningful.
“These Summer Series events typically see registrations around 100 to 150 people, so they are definitely smaller but they’re more localized,” she said.
Attendance has steadily grown since the program’s launch. Dougherty said the first Summer Series event in 2022 drew about 20 people. Last year, attendance at the Core Creek event approached 100 participants.
“It’s grown in excitement,” she said. “Some of our more seasoned volunteers talk about how they can’t wait for next summer to meet new families and stay connected.”
For many families, simply meeting another person living with type 1 diabetes can be life changing.
“Diabetes can definitely feel isolating,” Dougherty said. “I've had type 1 for over 27 years, and you can definitely feel sometimes like you are at this on your own.”
She recalled a recent virtual support meeting where a mother whose 8-year-old son had been diagnosed just two weeks earlier shared that she had never met another family dealing with T1D before.
“That connection piece, just chatting with other parents and seeing that she is not alone and her son is not alone, that is such a huge piece for our community,” Dougherty said.
The local connections formed during the Summer Series often surprise attendees. During last year’s event at Core Creek Park, two families discovered they lived near each other, attended the same school district and frequented the same pool, despite never realizing both children had T1D.
“That’s what’s great about these smaller community events,” Dougherty said. “You can really open the door to communication and connection with people in your backyard also living with type 1 diabetes.”
The events also provide practical support and educational resources. Volunteers and staff members distribute guides covering insurance navigation, school accommodations, peer relationships and transitioning through different stages of life with diabetes.
“We like to open our door to anyone,” Dougherty said. “Whether you were diagnosed at age 2 or diagnosed at 65, we probably have support for you or something to get you involved in this community.”
Breakthrough T1D representatives will also discuss volunteer opportunities and programs such as the organization’s Youth Ambassador Program for children ages 5 through 17 living with T1D. The yearlong program encourages young people to share their experiences, volunteer and advocate for the diabetes community.
Organizers emphasize that the event will take place rain or shine under the covered pavilion.
“One of our best turnout events last year was pouring rain the whole time,” Dougherty said. “I always remind people diabetes doesn’t stop, so we don’t either.”
Founded in 1970 by families whose loved ones had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Breakthrough T1D is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing treatments, improving access to care and funding research aimed at curing T1D. Formerly known as JDRF, the organization supports individuals and families through advocacy, educational resources and community programming.
Dougherty said the organization hopes the Summer Series continues expanding as more families participate and new connections form.
“The hope with this Summer Series is to continue to build this community,” she said. “We’re really trying to connect with the people in the area who need us there.”
She also hopes community members better understand the realities of living with type 1 diabetes.
“Type 1 is 24/7, but it doesn’t define you,” Dougherty said. “There’s a stat I usually like to quote that says people with type 1 or their caregivers make around 180 decisions a day based on diabetes alone. It’s constant, but it doesn’t have to stop you.”
Registration for the June 27 Summer Series event is free and open to all individuals and families living with type 1 diabetes. More information about the Summer Series, virtual meetups and other Breakthrough T1D events are available at www.breakthrought1d.org/greaterdelawarevalley.
