Thousands of Aussies to step out to fight kidney disease

Thousands of Aussies around the country will be stepping out in red for the annual Big Red Kidney Walk to fight kidney disease on Sunday 8 September.

Now in its 8th year, the Big Red Kidney Walk is Kidney Health Australia’s annual event to bring the community together to raise awareness and funds to fight kidney disease and show support for loved ones who are bravely living with the debilitating impacts of the disease.

According to Kidney Health Australia, 1.7 million Australians are affected by kidney disease but 1.5 million of those are unaware they’re living with the disease.

“The shocking fact about kidney disease is that a person can lose up to 90% of their kidney function before any symptoms are apparent,” says Chris Forbes, CEO, Kidney Health Australia.

“A person could be relatively fine one day and the next they could be in hospital facing a life sentence of continuous dialysis or on a transplant list, waiting for a suitable kidney donor.”

“We need to prevent people reaching this point so the Walks are a great opportunity to get the message out to the community to check their kidney health,” Mr Forbes said.

The Walks help to fund vital early detection work, research and support activities such as the Transplant House and Big Red Kidney Bus programs.

“Our fundraising target is $350,000 but we’d love to smash it so we can do more for our kidney community,” says Mr Forbes.

“We urge everyone to dress in red and join us for a day of fun, entertainment and exercise and together let’s fight kidney disease.”

There’s still plenty of time for people to register for one of Kidney Health Australia’s flagship walks in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, or to organise their own community walks in other locations. To register, visit www.bigredkidneywalk.org.au

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For media enquiries, please contact Darren Saffin on 0411 089 209 or Maria O’Sullivan at Kidney Health Australia on 0434 801 485.