Today not only marks my final Bainstorming, it marks a departure from my usual style. I'll go ahead and put that on the table now -- there's nothing humorous in what I'm about to write. (I'm sure some of you are wondering what's different in that case.)

I've enjoyed wasting your time on the first Friday of the past 12 months, and appreciate those of you who've read, enjoyed, and responded to my columns. If you're masochistic enough to want to read more, feel free to e-mail me at mail@dan-bain.com for information on where you can find it.

I also appreciate my editor, who took a risk and allowed me to crack wise in a section normally reserved for community news. Here's hoping he stays gainfully employed in spite of that.

As for my editor's bosses, the ones who asked him to remind me to write about North Raleigh, please know that he did so; I take full responsibility for having ignored those messages. If you'd just give me another chance, I'd do the same thing. Sue me for trying to entertain readers; laughter is far too rare when reading today's news.

But now, in a last-ditch effort to ingratiate myself to the News & Observer higher-ups, I'd like to talk about a North Raleigh event ... the May 10 St. Timothy's School Spring Sprint, which will benefit the WakeMed Pediatric Diabetes Program.

I recently had the opportunity to interview five families who had availed themselves of the program because they have children affected by Type 1 diabetes. Their stories were eye-opening, saddening and downright scary. I went home after each interview and held my own sons -- the ones I've described with such glee in this space -- and prayed they would never be victims of the disease.

It comes on without warning and without cause -- wise/poor lifestyle choices have no effect, and even doctors can't pinpoint the reason. Sometimes it happens after a child has had a common virus, which goes on to attack their pancreas and permanently destroy all of its insulin-producing cells.

Without insulin, the body can no longer regulate the sugars produced by all foods -- not just sweets -- and the sugar attacks fat supplies, producing toxic waste that can cause coma, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, limb loss or death.

The disease reduces a child's life expectancy by 7-10 years, can't be prevented, and can't be cured. Once you have it, you have it until you die. Insulin doesn't cure diabetes; it merely enables the victim to stay alive in spite of the disease -- typically via a grueling, around-the-clock regimen of blood tests and shots.

But because these kids aren't in constant pain, disabled, or "terminal," we often overlook their cause.

I've heard people question the seriousness of this disease, claiming it's just a matter of "inconvenience" and "maintenance." Those words mean nothing to a 2-year-old who is having her fingers pricked 10 times a day and is receiving insulin shots five times a day.

They ring hollow to the parents who have to wake their 6-year-old son nightly at 3 a.m. to make sure his sugar levels are not putting him in danger of shock or seizures, in spite of (or even due to) his insulin treatments.

Yes, the disease can be managed, but it requires a constant, wearying vigilance. Affected families turn to WakeMed's Program for care, education and support.

The program will benefit from the entry fees and sponsors' donations at the May 10 event at St. Timothy's. This will be the school's third annual 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run.

If you'd like to race, you can register in advance for $20 at www.sttimothys.org (look for the "Spring Sprint" link on the left), or in person for $25 at the event. Registration and check-in start at 7 a.m. and the races start at 9 and 9:30 a.m.

Hope to see you there! You'll probably find me wandering around, hoping to make someone laugh ...