The Coastal Bend Diabetes Initiative has been fighting the area’s diabetes problem for three years.

But being recently labeled America’s fattest city by Men’s Health magazine, based in part on the incidence of the disease, makes the organization want to fight even harder to prevent it, its leaders said Friday.

The group celebrated its first three years during a luncheon at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. The organization is a partnership of medical professionals, community leaders and local industries that provide funds for programs that can improve local public health.

In 2007, local industries such as Valero and Citgo pledged more than $500,000 as seed money to fund a two-year initiative that would support projects aimed at fighting the disease. Additional grants allowed extension of the effort for an additional year.

“The 21 projects funded over the course of the initiative have made more progress than we ever imagined toward achieving that goal” of fighting the disease, said Stephen Ponder, the initiative’s chairman. “And we believe that a sustained effort can and will produce measurable results.”

The initiative celebrated its successes and awarded more than $160,000 to six new projects, including The Salvation Army’s Foot Savers Diabetic Shoe Program, the YMCA’s Diabetic Boot Camp and Mission of Mercy, Inc. The Initiative has donated about $650,000 to 27 projects.

“These grant recipients ... add even more strength to the community’s fight against diabetes,” Ponder said.

Guest speaker Pepe Serna spoke about the importance of raising diabetes awareness, prevention and education.

“The best thing this community can do to make an impact is promote lifestyle changes that will ultimately lead to a healthier population,” said Serna, an actor and Corpus Christi native.

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