DENVER, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA), one of the nation's largest and most innovative health care communities, today announced that the eighth annual Tour DaVita® – a three-day, 250-mile bike ride to raise awareness of kidney disease and funds for medical missions in the United States and abroad – will kick off on September 14 at the Waterloo County Park in Lebanon, Oregon.

"For our riders, Tour DaVita has become more than just a cycling fundraiser," said Steve Priest, DaVita HealthCare Partners' chief wisdom officer and director of the event. "Every year, as it grows larger, we continue to raise awareness of kidney disease and funds for medical missions while celebrating our teammates and their commitment to caring for our patients. We are continually awed by our riders', teammates' and sponsors' dedication to this cause."

Tour DaVita 2014 will feature some of the most stunning scenery of the past seven years, with riders traveling through Oregon wine country and even taking their bikes on the Wheatland Ferry across the Willamette River during the ride. The event has the following itinerary for 2014:

Sept. 14 – Participants will ride a 73-mile loop in Lebanon and camp at Waterloo County Park in Lebanon

Sept. 15 – Participants will choose either a 71- or 100-mile route from Lebanon to Woodburn and camp in Centennial Park in Woodburn

Sept. 16 – Participants will choose either a 65- or 82-mile loop in Woodburn and camp in Centennial Park in Woodburn

Along the way, riders will pass through Foster, Sweet Home and Brownsville on day one; Waterloo, Corvallis, Crabtree, Aumsville, Silverton, Mt. Angel, Canby and Woodburn on day two; and Woodburn, Wheatland, Amity, Salem and St. Paul on day three.

This year, Tour DaVita riders include DaVita Kidney Care teammates, HealthCare Partners teammates, physicians, corporate sponsors and seven current DaVita Kidney Care dialysis patients, as well as two former DaVita Kidney Care dialysis patients who recently received kidney transplants.

To participate in Tour DaVita, riders each raise a minimum of $750 in donations and pay their own travel expenses. Their individual fundraising combined with donations from DaVita HealthCare Partners and other corporate sponsorship is expected to contribute more than $800,000 for the DaVita Village Trust.

The DaVita Village Trust is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by DaVita HealthCare Partners. Its mission is to improve kidney care and chronic kidney disease awareness while saving lives through early-detection testing, kidney care education and increased access to dialysis treatment in underserved communities around the world.

Participants also will volunteer during a Village Service Day at Marion-Polk Food Share in Salem, Oregon. Tour DaVita riders will bring nonperishable foods to donate as well as assist with food delivery to the local warehouse to support the nonprofit's mission to end hunger. The volunteer event will benefit residents in Polk and Marion counties in Oregon. DaVita HealthCare Partners hosts Village Service Days as part of its Trilogy of Care and is a way to give back to local communities. To learn more about the Trilogy of Care, visit davita.com/csr.

Tour DaVita, which is organized by Backroads, the "world's #1 active travel company^™,"  has previously taken place in Tennessee/Alabama (2007), Wisconsin (2008), Michigan (2009), Washington State (2010), Connecticut/New York/Massachusetts (2011), Iowa (2012) and South Carolina (2013).

To date, Tour DaVita has helped raise more than $5 million for nonprofits dedicated to raising awareness for kidney disease, providing kidney screenings and expanding access to dialysis care in developing countries. Participants have collectively ridden more than 533,000 miles over the course of seven years.

DaVita Kidney Care thanks ASD Healthcare for supporting Tour DaVita through its diamond sponsorship this year.

For more information about the eighth annual Tour DaVita, please visit tourdavita.org or Facebook at facebook.com/tourdavita. For more information about the DaVita Village Trust, please visit davitavillagetrust.org. For more information on Backroads, please visit backroads.com.

DaVita, Tour DaVita, DaVita Village Trust and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.

About DaVita HealthCare Partners
DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and HealthCare Partners. DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of June 30, 2014, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,119 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 168,000 patients. The company also operated 84 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. HealthCare Partners manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Florida in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. As of March 31, 2014, HealthCare Partners provided integrated care management for approximately 795,000 managed care patients. For more information, please visit DaVitaHealthCarePartners.com.

About DaVita Village Trust

DaVita Village Trust, an organization founded by DaVita HealthCare Partners, is improving kidney health and chronic kidney disease (CKD) awareness while saving lives through early-detection testing, kidney care education and increased access to dialysis treatment in underserved communities around the world. In 2014, DaVita Village Trust brought together two prominent kidney care non-profit organizations: Bridge of Life and The Kidney TRUST. The combination of these programs allows DaVita Village Trust to provide a full range of kidney care services including international medical missions that deliver dialysis treatment to patients who would otherwise not receive care and free-rapid screening programs to identify those who have signs of kidney impairment within the U.S. and abroad.

Media:
Bianca Violante
bianca.violante@davita.com 
(303) 876-6614

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SOURCE DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.