Signatures needed for diabetes tag
By JARED PUTNAM

Last May Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed House Bill 710, which included a provision for a special diabetes license plate to be put into production in Georgia to help support related non-profit organizations. The bill was co-sponsored by State Representative Charles Jenkins, and a main purpose of the special license plate is so that law enforcement officers and emergency personnel will be alerted to the potential for special needs before they approach the driver of a vehicle, especially if the vehicle has been involved in an accident.

The state of Georgia requires that there must be 1,000 signatures of individuals who would like to buy one of these tags in order to have them created. Once the signature quota is met, the tags will be clear to go into production. After that, only 500 purchases per year are needed, including renewals.

In order to purchase one of the new diabetes awareness tags, the owner of a vehicle must have diabetes or have an immediate family member with diabetes. The tags cost $25 each and a portion of the proceeds will be devoted to corporations such as the Diabetes Foundation of Georgia, a Blairsville-based 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization led by Bob Taylor. Georgia is mandated by law to allocate a portion of the funds received from the specialty tags to such non-profit groups.

The 1,000 signature quota needs to be met by July 1, 2007. Those who wish to purchase a tag can log on to http://www.gadiabetes.org, call Bob Taylor at 706-781-7777, mail a membership application and tag request to P.O. Box 1580, Blairsville, GA 30514, or go by the office of the Diabetes Foundation of Georgia, located in Blairsville's 19th hole plaza, on second floor between America's Home Place and Monte Alban.

Taylor said that raising awareness is a key element in developing these speciality license plates, and he is committed to making sure that everyone who wants one will get one.