When she decided to hold a fundraiser for juvenile diabetes research, Donna Moore wanted an event that would interest adults but also capture her target audience — children.

With that in mind, Moore decided a basketball tournament would be a great way to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation while creating awareness about the disease.

“I wanted something that would draw a lot of kids, because that’s the attention we are hoping for,” she said. “Basketball just seems to be a common ground for kids.”

The event, Shooting for a Cure, will be held July 23 at 9 a.m. at the Booker T. Washington Recreation Center.

A $10 registration fee is required for participants, and a $5 donation is requested for admission. All proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The tournament is open to boys and men ages 8 and up, and women ages 21 and up.

Boys and men will be broken into three age groups – youth, ages 8 to 12; teens, ages 13 to 17; and adults, ages 18 and up.

Girls between the ages 5 and 15 can sign up to participate in a halftime dance routine. The registration deadline is July 16.

Moore said she wanted the fundraiser to appeal to children, because she wants them to learn about more about a disease she thinks most people only associate with adulthood.

Moore knows all about the dangers of juvenile diabetes, because her son Kenny, 16, has lived with the disease since he was 11.

“It’s a struggle for him,” she said. “Even at 16, he still doesn’t quite understand the severity of it.”

However, she hopes Kenny’s struggle with diabetes will motivate children to protect themselves and inspire parents learn more about the disease.

At the tournament, there will be information booths with literature, pamphlets and other things to educate attendees about juvenile diabetes.

There also will be concessions, featuring various sugar-free treats.

Moore said she wants to show children food doesn’t have to be loaded with sugar to taste good.

Professional Touch barbershop and Suffolk Parks and Recreation are sponsoring the event.

Moore said it means a lot to her to have the support of a local business and the city.

“It meant the world to me,” she said. “To have your city want to join in with you with something that you are already passionate about, it just means a lot.”

This is the second time Moore has headed fundraising efforts for the JDRF. Last year, she led a team, named Kenny’s Praisers, in the Walk to Cure Diabetes in Virginia Beach.

“Children should not have to suffer that way,” she said. “We’ve got to work hard to prevent it.”

For more information on the tournament, contact Donna Moore at 305-3651 or Leroy Skinner at lerskinner@spsk12.net.

To learn more about juvenile diabetes, visit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation website at jdrf.org.