It’s summertime, and many of us will be attending family reunions or vacationing with our relatives. Because the two leading causes of kidney disease—diabetes and high blood pressure—often run in families, summer is great time to talk with family about the risks for kidney disease and how to prevent it. This summer, the American Kidney Fund will hold Kidney Action Days in Dallas, metro Washington, D.C., Augusta, Ga., and Chicago—helping people learn if they are at risk for kidney disease through free health screenings and kidney health education. We are grateful to our Presenting National Sponsor, American Renal Associates; our National Sponsor, U.S. Renal Care, Inc.; and our Regional Sponsor Rite Aid Pharmacy; their support helps us bring Kidney Action Day events to communities at increased risk for kidney disease.
High blood pressure can damage your kidneys. Keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range can help protect your kidneys and prevent or slow kidney disease. Learn more about how working with your doctor and incorporating a heart-healthy diet and exercise can help you keep a healthy blood pressure and prevent kidney disease.
Do you know a person living with kidney disease who is making a difference in his or her community? Someone who is an inspiration to those around him or her? Each year, the American Kidney Fund asks its friends to submit nominations for the Hero of Hope award. The person who is selected as the 2014 Hero of Hope will be honored at The Hope Affair, AKF’s national gala, on October 22, 2014 in Washington, D.C. Deadline for nominations is June 13.
We’re taking the fight against kidney disease to Texas for our first-ever Dallas Kidney Action Day on Wednesday, June 18. Join us for free health screenings, healthy cooking, fitness demos and great local entertainment. The event is at Dallas City Hall Plaza and runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Kidney Action Days are free and open to the public.
Get your walking shoes ready—the Kidney Action Day Walk for metropolitan Washington, D.C. is coming up on Saturday, June 21! The Kidney Action Day Walk takes place during Kidney Action Day, a free, fun-filled, family-friendly event with a serious purpose: helping people understand their risk for kidney disease. Register today! If you don’t live in the region but have friends and family who do, please help us spread the word!
More than 500 Philadelphians turned out on a beautiful spring Friday for Kidney Action Day. Philadelphia’s Health Commissioner addressed the crowd and presented a proclamation from the City declaring May 2 to be Kidney Action Day in Philadelphia. Hundreds of attendees received free kidney health screenings. Watch a slideshow of the event.
Two mayors, a U.S. Congressman and a state senator were on hand for AKF’s inaugural Memphis Kidney Action Day. Hundreds of area residents turned out to learn more about kidney disease and its risk factors, and to get free health screenings from the American Kidney Fund. Patient-advocates encouraged attendees to empower themselves with the knowledge that can help prevent kidney disease. Watch a slideshow of the event.
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (NBC), the nation’s oldest and largest African American religious convention with an estimated membership of 7.5 million, has been an AKF partner for several years. NBC’s Health Outreach and Prevention Education Initiative (H.O.P.E.) uses AKF’s resources to promote the importance of kidney health to all its members. The upcoming Kidney Action Day in Dallas (June 18) coincides with NBC’s Congress of Christian Education Annual Session. AKF will exhibit at the NBC event, offering free kidney disease risk assessments and information about kidney health to attendees. NBC is promoting Kidney Action Day to its attendees, as well.
Reaching people in communities most at risk for kidney disease is an important part of AKF’s mission, and Kidney Action Day is one of the most direct ways we do that. Providing free kidney health screenings is a vital program in fighting kidney disease; your gift today will help support these important events that reach thousands of people each year.
