Annual walk held to battle local kidney disease

A sea of orange washed over Cape Henlopen State Park Sunday morning in Lewes for the tenth annual Kidney Walk.  Hundreds of people wore the bright color to raise awareness about Kidney Disease, which effects thousands of Delawareans each year.

"Loved ones, friends, family.  We're going to have about 600 people out here today all walking to fight kidney disease, it's just amazing to see this many people turn out for a cause," said Nicole Scharf, associate executive director of the National Kidney Foundation for Maryland and Delaware.

Kidney disease effects thousands of Delawareans directly, and thousands of friends and family members indirectly.  Over 2,000 residents undergo dialysis.

This walk has raised over $400,000 in its ten year history, and organizers expect to add another $50,000 this year.

"About 80 cents on every dollar that we raise goes directly back into our community for local programs, such as our patient emergency assistance grant program, which helps dialysis patients with a variety of things," said Scharf.  "It might be transportation to and from dialysis, it may be that they need help with their medications that month."

But the walk does a lot more than just raising funds.  Events like this can also raise awareness about the need for more kidney donors.  A staggering 400 Delawareans are currently waiting on a kidney transplant.

"Out of the 100,000 people across the nation waiting for an organ transplant, 97 percent of those people are waiting for a kidney.  So it's a big problem and it's one that we have to take a look at," said Scharf.

National Kidney Foundation chair Kristy Ferracci has worked in kidney dialysis for almost two decades, in 2007 her husband Michael found out he was in need of a transplant himself.  Kristy didn't hesitate.

"It's very rewarding.  Every six months he gets lab work down and I get always excited to see how they all come together to see him like yep his labs are good this is working."

Delawareans weren't the only ones participating in a kidney walk today, this walk actually takes place nationwide.  We're told the walk is held in nearly 100 communities, and every year, over 85,000 walkers raise more than $9 million to help kidney patients and their families.