Robert Barker/University Photography

Chris VanDruff takes a break in the shade.

On Aug. 18, Chris VanDruff, control technician and plumber for the Refrigeration Shop in Facilities Services, will gear up in Watkins Glen to bike around Seneca Lake -- his first 100-mile trek. But for VanDruff, the distance is not important: He is riding in his first Tour de Cure, a nationwide fundraiser for diabetes.

His twin sons, Ian and Caleb, age 11, were both diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 7. His sons are also participating in the fundraiser, riding 10 miles with other children on the Catharine Valley Trail in Watkins Glen.

Since the boys' diagnoses, VanDruff and his wife, Lisa, made some adjustments to their family's lives, but have also tried to keep a sense of normalcy for their sons.

"We did not change our sons' diets radically," VanDruff says. "We don't limit what they have but how much they have."

The boys need to count their carbohydrate intake and cover any excess with insulin. They also are on insulin pumps that need monitoring but have made the disease more manageable.

Because a "healthy lifestyle is imperative for the boys," VanDruff made changes in his own life, losing 75 pounds over the past year. "I'm a volunteer assistant coach for Cornell women's softball," he explains. "I wanted to be able to do the Tour de Cure, and I did not want my sons to see me as an out-of-shape coach, so I joined the Cornell Wellness Program." He now works out several mornings each week, driving in from home in Athens, Pa., to be at the gym at 6 a.m. before starting work at 7:30 a.m.

VanDruff learned about the Wellness Program from Kerry Howell, assistant director of the program, at a meeting of Cornell's Veterans Colleague Network. He now serves on the Wellness Committee, encouraging others to take advantage of the Wellness Program. "The staff there will talk with you and help you get started. If it wasn't for them I would not be at this level of fitness now," he said.

The annual Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events held in 44 states nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The tour is considered a ride, not a race, with routes designed for the occasional rider to the experienced cyclist. In 2011, some 55,000 cyclists in 80 events raised more than $18 million to support the ADA to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

"My sons were able to go to diabetes camp this summer, spending time with kids just like them in a safe and educational environment, thanks to the ADA and similar fundraisers," VanDruff says.

Last year, the upstate New York event raised $100,000. Next year, VanDruff hopes to organize a Cornell team to participate.

To support or participate in the Watkins Glen ride, go to http://tour.diabetes.org.