SALISBURY — The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland (NKF-MD) will hold its eighth annual Salisbury Kidney Walk, Sunday, May 3, at Winterplace Park (6737 Blue Ribbon Road).

Approximately 400 people are expected to participate in this fun, inspiring, community fundraiser that calls attention to the need for organ donation and prevention of kidney disease — the 9^th leading cause of death in the United States.

“On any given day in Maryland approximately 9,300 individuals are on dialysis and 2,200 are awaiting a kidney transplant,” said Nicole Scharf, NKF-MD’s director of field services for Eastern Shore of Maryland and Southern Delaware.

“Through this walk event the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland is building awareness, driving prevention, and supporting treatment of kidney disease,” she added

Stephanie Elliott, MS, BSN, CNN (renal services program manager with Peninsula Regional Medical Center) will return to chair the dog-friendly event.  Registration and festivities begins at 9 a.m.  Following warm-up exercises and announcements by WMDT-TV Meteorologist Daniel Johnson, the walk will kick off at 10 a.m.  Participants can choose from a 3-mile route or shorter path for strollers and wheelchairs.

Adding to the fun, everyone can enjoy refreshments from Panera Bread and Aquafina, music by Moonbeam Entertainment and the Kidney Kids Corner with face painting and games.

There is no registration fee, but $100 is the minimum required amount to receive a Kidney Walk t-shirt. Sponsorships are also available.  For pre-registration, or information about sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, call 410.726-8732 or visit www.kidneywalk.org.

This spring, NKF-MD will hold a total of three Kidney Walks, including a second Delmarva Walk at Cape Henlopen State Park. The walks are nationally presented by Mallinckrodt.

Top local sponsors include Beebe Healthcare, Christiana Care, Nephrology Associates, Peninsula Nephrology Associates and Walgreen’s.

Additionally, returning sponsor, Mid-Atlantic Nephrology Associates will distribute orange caps to kidney patients and green caps to transplant donors and recipients so they stand out in the crowd.

Funds raised through Kidney Walk will directly support NKF-MD’s patient services, education and research efforts. More than 6,000 people participated in the 2014 Kidney Walk events, which raised over $475,000.

Kidney Disease Facts

• 1 in 3 American adults is at risk for kidney disease.
• The risk of developing kidney disease increases to 1 in 2 over the course of a lifetime.
• Approximately 427,000 Americans are on dialysis, with treatment costs for the average patient at $70,000 per year.
• On the Delmarva Peninsula, more than 1,200 people are on dialysis.

About NKF-MD

The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland, serving central and western Maryland, the Delmarva Peninsula and portions of West Virginia, is the area’s only voluntary health agency dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of kidney and urinary tract diseases.  For more information, visit www.kidneymd.org.