Seattle (December 31^st, 2006) – Today the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI, now PNDRI) launched "Ducks For Kids With Diabetes" - a campaign to generate funds needed for diabetes research and to spread awareness of diabetes as a serious and often life threatening disease.

The five-week cause-marketing campaign in partnership with Quality Food Centers, Inc. (QFC) and Ride the Ducks of Seattle will raise money for diabetes research through point-of-sale donations made at checkout stands in all 77 QFC stores throughout Washington State and the Portland, Oregon area. During the month of January, QFC customers will be provided information on diabetes and the research efforts of PNRI.

The "Ducks For Kids With Diabetes" Campaign comes at a time when experts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predict 1 of every 3 children born in the United States in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. "Targeted scientific research is needed, now more than ever, to address increasing rates of diabetes in children and adults," said PNRI President and Scientific Director Dr. Paul Robertson. "Teaching people proper eating habits is also important for the prevention and self-care management of the disease" Dr. Robertson added.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), more than 20.8 million Americans have diabetes, though about one-third of them do not know they have the disease. An estimated 41 million additional Americans live with a condition known as pre-diabetes, putting them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. "QFC cares about the health and well-being of our customers facing these risks, and we believe PNRI is advancing diabetes research to address them. We will proudly match donations made by customers at checkout stands during the month of January, with a guaranteed match of $10,000" said QFC President Donna Giordano.

"PNRI is very excited to partner with QFC and Ride the Ducks tour group. Their generosity is remarkable and will help tremendously in the effort to predict, prevent, and cure diabetes in kids" added Dr. Robertson.

About Diabetes: Diabetes takes many forms but is characterized by abnormally high glucose levels in the blood, resulting from the body's inability to produce insulin, the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels, as in type 1 diabetes, or a combination of insulin resistances and insulin deficiency, as in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes-related health complications are the leading cause of kidney failure, blindness in adults, and leg and foot amputations unrelated to injury in the United States.

About Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI): PNRI is a 50 year-old independent non-profit biomedical and clinical research center founded by Dr. William Hutchinson, Sr., who also founded the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The mission of PNRI is to support and conduct basic and clinical studies that lead to the prevention and cure of diabetes and its complications. PNRI's team of 60 doctors and researchers is committed to applying scientific discoveries to the real improvement of health for people living with diabetes.