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Though his time in Columbus was a short one, Tom Rysinski made an impact on the community through his passionate storytelling of sports and his advocacy with the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi.
When Irena McClain, secretary of DFM, began helping plan this year’s Mississippi’s Walk for Diabetes in Columbus, she learned of The Dispatch’s former sports editor’s passing in July. So she decided she wanted to do something special in his memory.
“Last year was our first walk after COVID-19, and Tom was there,” McClain said. “We were talking and he got excited when the David Bowie song ‘Heroes’ came on as the walk ribbon was cut and everyone started walking. He wrote a nice article about the walk and everything for it. … Because he was great at putting post-walk publicity out and he thought it was awesome that everything stays in Mississippi to help people in the state, we wanted to have the walk in his memory.”
The Walk for Diabetes in Columbus will take place Sunday at the Riverwalk. Festivities and registration will begin at 1 p.m., and a one-mile fun run and walk will begin at 2 p.m. Groups and individuals are encouraged to participate.
Peter Imes, publisher at The Dispatch, expressed his gratitude toward DFM for remembering Rysinski in the walk this year.
“I continue to be struck by the outsized impact Tom Rysinski had on this community in the relatively short amount of time he was here,” Imes said. “On behalf of The Commercial Dispatch, I would like to thank the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi for honoring Tom this year.”
The first walk in Columbus began in 2003, and McClain said it serves many purposes such as awareness but also support. Many families and individuals are being impacted by diabetes each year, and this walk allows them to see what MDF offers along with support from others with the chronic disease. The foundation also holds annual walks in other cities across the state.
The honorary chair of the walk is the Martin family from Houston, McClain said. Heather Martin has been helping her daughter, Ella, who was diagnosed with diabetes in 2016. Since then, the family has helped other families with young children across north Mississippi who are learning what it means to be diabetic.
Along with the walk, DFM helps youth in the state get adjusted to living with diabetes, offering a camp for children to meet others like them as well as creating emergency boxes for schools depending on how many students with diabetes they have.
The foundation also teaches law enforcement what symptoms of high and low blood sugar look like and how that can affect someone, especially while driving. It also offers patient assistance such as buying insulin for those who maybe cannot afford it, McClain said.
“The walk helps us raise donations, as well,” McClain said. “… Every donation raised stays in Mississippi, which is nice because if we see a problem, we can address it.”
How to go
■ WHAT: Diabetes Walk
■ WHERE: Columbus Riverwalk
■ WHEN: Sunday, on-site registration begins at 1 p.m., walk begins at 2 p.m.
■ HOW: Pre-registration available at msdiabetes.org/events/walks/
■ HOW MUCH: Cost range is $25 to $50 to participate in the walk
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