Students, librarians and teachers from Brentwood's Pioneer Elementary walked, ran and skipped on the school's blacktop on Sept. 7 to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation during the school's Diabetes Awareness Week. Students were encouraged to wear red, diabetes' signature color, in support of the students at Pioneer who have been diagnosed with the disease.

Cassidy Hornsby, 10, is one of Pioneer's four students who have contracted the disease. She spoke to the student body at a special assembly called Dogs for Diabetes. "I wanted everyone to know about the disease," said Cassidy.

Representatives of the Dogs for Diabetes Foundation came to Pioneer to share a presentation aimed at educating kids about how man's best friend is used to help diabetic humans. According to fourth-grade teacher Karen Sowder, "Two dogs came and demonstrated things like what they do when their diabetic owner has low blood sugar. The kids loved it! I think it was the most successful assembly we have ever had."

If the walk gave students a fun opportunity to get outside and run around, the assembly inside shone a serious light on a pressing contemporary problem - juvenile diabetes. It also gave kids a chance to learn about a classmate's personal struggle with the illness.

"I think it's good we are doing the Diabetes Awareness Week, because people might have teased her (Cassidy) or the other kids at school. But at the assembly, Cassidy got up on stage and talked about it," said Cassidy's friend Amanda Moylan, 9. "Now that students know what diabetes means, people that teased her before might feel a little sorry about it now because they understand her."