June, 2009

Message from the President and CEO

Dear Friend

Last month, while attending the 2nd Annual Cinco de Mayo fundraiser hosted by the Atlanta division of the American Kidney Fund, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Deborah Moye, a friend of the American Kidney Fund who lives in Decatur, Georgia. Deborah is living with kidney disease and has undergone dialysis for more than six years. Because Deborah had previously written a letter to the American Kidney Fund, I was familiar with her story.

“The American Kidney Fund came to my financial rescue,” Deborah wrote. “Sometimes it is difficult to maintain your pride when you live on a limited income instead of earning a paycheck to make ends meet.”

During the evening’s program, Deborah had the chance to personally thank the event guests, all of whom were there to support the American Kidney Fund. But more appropriately, we got a chance to thank her. Her story and her life’s work are truly an inspiration to all of us, and stories like Deborah’s fuel the work of our organization. Deborah now uses her time to advocate for a higher quality of renal health care. She is President of the Georgia Association of Kidney Patients and a member of the Southeastern Kidney Council Consumer Committee.

“The American Kidney Fund lets those of us with kidney failure know we do not have to despair because we have a chronic disease. AKF provides financial respite from challenges that beset us. It is good to know we have a resource we can turn to during tough times,” she said.

I invite you to visit our website to learn how you can join us in the fight against kidney disease. And if your life has been directly affected by chronic kidney disease, I would like to invite you to join the growing number of people who have shared their stories with us.
With best wishes for your continued good health,

LaVarne A. Burton
President and CEO

American Kidney Fund Receives 7th Consecutive 4-star Rating from Charity Navigator 

The American Kidney Fund has received the highest, 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities.

Only 2% of charities Charity Navigator reviews achieve this rating seven times in a row, as we have.

In 2008, 96 cents of every dollar the American Kidney Fund spent went directly to programs and services.

Slam! Kidney Disease

The American Kidney Fund has teamed up with Hoop It Up to offer anyone who loves the game of basketball an exciting way to join in the fight against kidney disease. Slam! Kidney disease is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament that will help to increase kidney disease awareness, raise money to fund the American Kidney Fund’s programs and services, and give participants a chance to earn great prizes like an Xbox 360 Elite!

Slam! Kidney Disease events are scheduled in Washington, DC on June 27-28, 2009; Boston, MA on July 18-19, 2009; New York, NY on August on 8-9, 2009; and Atlanta, GA on August 22-23, 2009. All proceeds help to fund our programs and services. For more information or to start fundraising, go to http://www.kidneyfund.org/slam/

Spotlight on Health: Diabetes is #1 Cause of Kidney Disease

Diabetes is the #1 cause of kidney disease, causing nearly 45 percent of new cases in the United States. There are currently 23.6 million people in the United States with diabetes. Medications and diet can help manage diabetes and prevent complications, but some people may still develop kidney problems, even with good medical care.

Diabetes can damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, causing kidney disease and making it impossible for the kidneys to work as well as they should. Because kidney disease has no symptoms in its early stages, a person with diabetes may be experiencing kidney disease and not be aware.
If you already have diabetes, you can reduce your chance of developing kidney disease by keeping your blood sugar under control. 

The American Kidney Fund offers free kidney health brochures and fact sheets on several topics, including “Diabetes and Your Kidneys.” You may download free PDF versions, or order one of each for free. 

Calendar Kids Art Contest Winners Announced

The American Kidney Fund’s 2010 Calendar Kids Art Contest winners were announced. Now in its 14th year, Calendar Kids is a nationwide art contest for children who are living with kidney disease. The Calendar Kids Program is sponsored by Amgen. AKF choose 13 winners whose drawings will illustrate the American Kidney Fund calendar, which is distributed nationwide.

Winners also receive a trip to Washington, DC where they participate in a fun-filled weekend, tour the nation’s capital, and are honored during an awards dinner.

Congratulations to the winners. Their names, ages and hometowns are listed here.

Check out AKF’s New Kidney Health Podcast, “Strength in Caring”

The American Kidney Fund recently released “Strength in Caring,” the second production in its kidney health podcast series.The podcast is an interview with Mark Meier, CEO of Equalicare and featured speaker at the American Kidney Fund’s upcoming professional conference, “Strength in Caring: Taking Better Care of Others by Taking Better Care of You,” to be held on August 27, 2009, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Are You a Fan Yet?

The American Kidney Fund invites you to discover our page on Facebook. Stay up to date on everything that’s happening at AKF, find out about special events and health screenings, post your comments and more!