This spring, National Kidney Foundation welcomed ten National Corporate Partners to the Kidney Walk. What is a corporate partner? A company that supports the Kidney Walk from a national level by rallying employees to participate and by sponsoring multiple Walks throughout the year. These partners have shown up to walk with and for the kidney community, and they have stepped up in many other important and creative ways. Here are a few highlights.
Fresenius Medical Care North America’s Support Starts with Executive Leadership
Fresenius Medical Care North America is the 2018 Kidney Walk National Presenting Sponsor and the largest national team ever! That’s thanks to incredible leadership and support from Fresenius CEO Bill Valle. In this role, Mr. Valle, who is also the inaugural National Corporate Chair for the 2018 Walk season, is rallying the business community to lace up their shoes for their local Kidney Walks. He’s also dedicated to raising important awareness for the fight against kidney disease.
Bill Valle teamed up with NKF’s CEO, Kevin Longino, to film a video series about many important topics, including kidney disease and transplantation, what it means to be a corporate partner and a special message to all FMCNA employees to get them excited and proud to walk. Watch.
Relypsa’s Commitment to Kidney Patients Reaches New Heights – and Countries
2018 is
Relypsa’s second year as a Kidney Walk National Partner, and their team has already surpassed their 2017 fundraising total! Relypsa’s leaders continue to deepen their commitment to supporting kidney patients. CEO Scott Garland served as the 2018 Silicon Valley Kidney Walk Chair, and VP of Marketing Todd Ungard led the Walk’s Executive Leadership Committee and has recently joined NKF as a board member in California.
Taking it to another level – and continent – Relypsa’s parent company, Vifor Pharma, was so inspired by Relypsa’s National Partnership that they joined in on the fun! Vifor Pharma formed the first international Kidney Walk team at their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. 110 staff members gathered for a Kidney Walk-inspired day which included kidney education seminars, a staff lunch and, of course, a walk.
LogistiCare’s Focus on Volunteerism
LogistiCare is a longtime Kidney Walk National Team but that hasn't stopped them from upping their game! In 2018, LogistiCare became a National Multi-Market Sponsor, too. They kicked off their efforts by hosting first official LogistiCare Service Day at their corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, that included an NKF Drive for Dialysis program. LogistiCare employees came together to assemble care packages for dialysis patients to brighten their spirits and make the long hours of treatment a little more bearable. More than 500 care packages were handed out at local dialysis centers. What a fantastic way to kick off another great year of partnership!
The stories of our National Partners' dedication and creativity are endless. We are grateful for their continued support to improving the lives of kidney patients in their local communities. Thank you!
If your company is interested in learning more about Kidney Walk National Partnership opportunities, please reach out to Krystn Kuckelman at
krystn.kuckelman@kidney.org.
