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| Cocoa Beach Kidney Walk. Brevard Times / File. |
COCOA BEACH, Florida – U.S. Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) will kick-off the 3rd Annual Cocoa Beach “Foot Prints in the Sand” Kidney Beach Walk presented by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Florida as a tribute to organ donation.
The walk will take place at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 10th, 2014 at the Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach Florida. The day’s activities will begin with a “Circle of Life” paddle- out, followed by a Zumba class on the beach to warm-up for the 5K “Footprints in the Sand” non-competitive kidney walk. The day’s events will conclude with a “Sand Castles of Hope” contest for kids of all ages.
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| U.S. Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL). Brevard Times / File. |
“It’s an honor to again take part in this year’s kidney walk,” said Congressman Bill Posey who is a member of the Congressional Kidney Caucus. “One of the many challenges that organ transplant recipients face is the high cost of immunosuppressive medications which help the body to adjust to new donor organs. Currently, Medicare covers the cost of kidney transplant surgeries but only temporarily covers the cost of the medications which are needed to prevent rejection. After three years, coverage is cancelled. That just defies common sense, and I’ve cosponsored legislation to fix this problem (H.R. 1428), which will ultimately save lives and Medicare resources.”
“The National Kidney Foundation of Florida currently puts on 7 walks across the state of Florida. The Cocoa Beach Kidney Walk is our only beach walk. It gives us an opportunity to educate people on the importance of organ donation and to thank any living donors and their families,” said Savanna Pitard, Regional Development Manager for the National Kidney Foundation. “Every month the National Kidney Foundation gives away $14,000 through our direct aid program to those who are having a hard time paying bills, affording transportation to take them to dialysis, or buying groceries. The Kidney Foundation is also able to put on free kidney screenings for at risk individuals with the money raised at the walks. This year I am helping to coordinate the Third Annual Cocoa Beach Kidney Walk as well as walking in memory of a long time friend, Rich Salick.”
To learn more about kidney disease and what you can do to help, please visit the National Kidney Foundation’s website www.kidney.org.
