Kidney Health Takes Center Stage In Nation's Capital At American Kidney Fund's Kidney Action Day® On July 10
Free Event Offers Health Screenings, a Walkathon and Family Fun at The Yards Park
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- D.C. area residents can take charge of their health and support people battling kidney disease at the American Kidney Fund's (AKF) Kidney Action Day® in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, July 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Yards Park. A free, family-friendly event that is open to the public, Kidney Action Day is sponsored by American Renal Associates and U.S. Renal Care, Inc.
Kidney Action Day will feature health screenings by medical professionals, healthy cooking and fitness demonstrations, and other family fun activities. A free seminar for kidney patients will focus on treatment options and nutrition strategies, and attendees can also participate in the KIDNEYNATION walk at noon to raise funds to support AKF's lifesaving programs.
"Kidney disease affects so many in the Capital Region and Kidney Action Day lets area residents take action to do something about it," said LaVarne A. Burton, president and CEO of the Rockville-based American Kidney Fund, the nation's leading nonprofit working on behalf of the 31 million Americans with kidney disease. "Our free health screenings help identify those at risk for this largely preventable disease and the ways they can support the patients who are currently undergoing treatment. We are also proud to offer educational seminars and information to patients and caregivers, which will help them maintain their wellbeing and make informed decisions while undergoing rigorous dialysis treatment."
The program will be kicked off by D.C. councilmember David Grosso, along with David White and John Todd, two local patient-advocates who are living with kidney failure. Because fitness and a healthy diet are part of a healthy lifestyle that can help prevent kidney disease, event goers can participate in a Zumba fitness session with Spotlight Studio, and fitness activities with Regie Thornton of Sweat-N-Go and Prisna Anderson of FitWorks4U. Cooking demonstrations by Juliette Tahar of Healthy Living, Inc. will highlight easy healthy recipes.
For patients, particularly those recently diagnosed with late-stage kidney disease, a free seminar at 1:30 p.m. will focus on treatment options for end-stage renal disease and nutrition strategies for patients currently on dialysis. Bus service will be provided to take attendees from The Yards Park to the seminar at the Courtyard by Marriott Capitol Hill/Navy Yard.
Kidney disease is a serious issue in the Capital Region. More than 12,000 area residents are currently living with kidney failure, including more than 2,500 in D.C. Last year, AKF provided charitable assistance to more than 700 low-income patients in the region, enabling them to sustain their insurance coverage and access lifesaving medical treatment—a scope of assistance to local kidney patients that is unmatched by any other nonprofit.
Kidney disease is an often-preventable condition, yet one in every three Americans is at risk. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney disease. Other risk factors include having a family history of kidney disease, being over 60, and being African-American, Asian American, Native American or of Hispanic ethnicity. Left undiagnosed and untreated, chronic kidney disease can lead to heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure and death.
For more information on Kidney Action Day, visit www.kidneyactionday.org/dc. The page also contains links for registration for the patient seminar and the KIDNEYNATION walk.
About the American Kidney Fund
As the nation's leading nonprofit working on behalf of the 31 million Americans with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. AKF provides a complete spectrum of programs and services: prevention outreach, top-rated health educational resources, and direct financial assistance enabling 1 in 5 U.S. dialysis patients to access lifesaving medical care, including dialysis and transplantation.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Media Contact: Katie Franklin
[email protected]
202.974.5084
SOURCE American Kidney Fund
Share this article