Paws 4 a Cause - Holy Innocents' Episcopal School

About Paws 4 A Cause

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School students and families have been committed to giving and service to the greater community since our founding more than six decades ago. As we celebrate Holy Innocents’ 65th anniversary as a school, it is appropriate that we also pause to consider what our legacy will be for the decades to come.

In this spirit, Holy Innocents’ is launching Paws 4 A Cause, our new school-wide philanthropy initiative. This initiative will enable the entire Holy Innocents’ community to lean into one philanthropic cause each year, which will align our service efforts, focus our giving priorities, and maximize our impact on the surrounding community.

Our nonprofit partner for Paws 4 A Cause will change each year, and will ultimately be selected by Holy Innocents’ students through a formal proposal process. This year we are thrilled to honor our longstanding relationship with Breakthrough T1D by naming this organization as our inaugural partner.

2024-2025 Kickoff

Our 2024-2025 Paws 4 A Cause partnership with Breakthrough T1D kicked off this September as a part of our Homecoming Week celebrations! Throughout the course of the year, we will have opportunities to learn more about the organization, better understand how type 1 diabetes affects our community, and participate in a walk to celebrate our partnership.

Each HIES division will generate philanthropic support for Breakthrough T1D’s mission in its own unique and fun way. In addition, all members of the HIES community are welcome and encouraged to participate in the annual Breakthrough T1D Walk on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Atlantic Station. Our school sends a team each year to this event—the world’s largest fundraising and community-building event for the T1D community—and we hope this year we can send our biggest team yet!

This page will be updated throughout the course of the year with pertinent information.

Breakthrough T1D Walk and Important Dates

This Year's Beneficiary

About Breakthrough T1D

Founded in 1970 by families whose loved ones had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) is the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization. Its mission is to make everyday life better for those living with T1D while driving toward cures.

As a nonprofit organization, Breakthrough T1D is leading the way to more effective solutions to T1D by connecting the brightest minds to advance treatments, influence policy, and improve access to care. Through generous philanthropic support, Breakthrough T1D invests in the most promising research to turn ideas into life-changing therapies, including cures. Learn more about Breakthrough T1D here.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease. This means that it doesn’t go away. Anyone can be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at any age, though it is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence.

In T1D, the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is an essential hormone that helps the body turn food into energy. People living with type 1 diabetes must take insulin by injection or insulin pump to survive. Living with T1D requires extra work, but with the right support and information, those living with T1D can lead fulfilling, active lives.

About Our Partnership

Holy Innocents’ partnership with Breakthrough T1D was formed nearly two decades ago in 2005, when Kaki Bennett '11 started the HIES Community Walk Team with her best friend, Christie Huff '11. Their team participated in the Breakthrough T1D walk, a nationwide movement with nearly 130 events across the country where thousands rally to transform the future for those living with type 1 diabetes.

Kaki and Christie raised $8,000 that first year through personal letter writing, soliciting donations, and selling paper shoes during lunch. Since their efforts began, support for Breakthrough T1D’s mission among students, parents, and faculty members has continued to grow. The HIES Walk Team has consistently been Breakthrough T1D’s top fundraising school in Atlanta—and the United States—for the last 20 years and has also participated in the walks for the last 20 years. To date, the HIES community has raised more than $850,000 for this important cause!