The west side of Las Cruces City Hall, 700 N. Main St., will be lit in blue every night from November 12 to November 30 in observance of Diabetes Awareness Month.
Blue LED flood lights have been temporarily installed at the base of each of 10 columns on the west side of City Hall, facing Main Street. At dusk on Thursday, November 12, the blue lights will be turned on and will illuminate the building every night for the remainder of November.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month and Southern New Mexico Diabetes Outreach is encouraging businesses and organizations to help promote public awareness and support for Las Cruces and Doña Ana County residents who have diabetes. Southern New Mexico Diabetes Outreach has been in Las Cruces since 1998 and was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2001.
From blood glucose screening tests conducted on 1,300 people, Southern New Mexico Diabetes Outreach determined that 42 percent of those tests revealed blood glucose levels above acceptable levels, indicating a large number of residents who have diabetes. It is estimated that one in three U.S. residents has diabetes. Body mass index tests that were also conducted indicated that as many as 63 percent of those tested were overweight, which is a leading cause of diabetes.
Southern New Mexico Diabetes Outreach will conduct its 16th annual Diabetes Expo, a free virtual conference, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, November 14. The conference will include healthcare professionals who will share useful information for diabetics on diet, exercise, and other topics.
To register for the free virtual conference, go to www.snmdo.org.