The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is celebrating World Kidney Day on March 8, 2012! The goal of World Kidney Day is to raise awareness about the importance of the kidneys and support the education and understanding that kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable.

To help us reach our goals, NKF will host a fly-in to Washington, DC to empower and train individuals to become involved in federal legislation surrounding kidney disease, dialysis, donation and transplantation. As a 30 year survivor of end stage kidney disease, I attended the first advocacy fly-in for NKF and it changed my life. I was honored to be given the opportunity to become engaged in the policy discussions around issues that are important to me and so many others. We are seeking articulate chronic kidney disease patients, individuals on dialysis, kidney transplant recipients and living kidney donors from around the country who are available to come to Washington, DC for a half day training the afternoon of Wednesday, March 7, a Congressional reception that evening, and meetings with their members of Congress or their staff members on Thursday, March 8. I highly encourage you to take advantage of this chance to have your voices heard by those who can most affect change, because who better than you to tell your story on the impact of kidney disease!

If you would like to join us in celebrating World Kidney Day by attending this advocacy training and fly-in to Washington, DC, please complete the application online available here. Due to funding restraints, only a handful of candidates will be chosen to participate, so please complete your application as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Kahle at the National Kidney Foundation at 800-622-9010 ext 213 or peoplelikeus@kidney.org.

Thank you for your consideration.

Wishing you a peaceful and joyful 2012.

Celeste Castillo Lee
Chair, Patient & Family Executive Council
NKF