Lace up your walking shoes and join the National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina and honorary chairman, former South Carolina State University Head Coach Willie Jeffries, at Orangeburg's second annual Kidney Walk.

The walk will be held Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Edisto Memorial Gardens. Registration will begin at 5 p.m. near the fountain, with the walk officially getting underway by 6 p.m.

Mary Higginbotham, development and community affairs coordinator for the NKFSC, said she was thrilled at how successful the walk was last year. In 2006, an estimated 500 walkers participated in the state's first Kidney Walk in Orangeburg, and the NKFSC raised more than $45,000 for kidney patients and prevention and early detection programs and services.

"This year, the foundation is hoping for that and more," Higginbotham said. In fact, it's goal is to raise more than $75,000 to help fund research, patient service activities and public and professional education programs.

Beth Irick, CEO of the NKFSC, said Orangeburg is the perfect fit for this event because of its high instance of chronic kidney disease.

"In Orangeburg County, one in four people have CKD," she said. "Kidney disease is at epidemic levels in Orangeburg County."

According to the NKFSC, chronic kidney disease affects more than 460,000 people in South Carolina, or one in eight. South Carolina is second in the nation in the prevalence of diabetes and a leader in the prevalence of high blood pressure. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of CKD, but the NKFSC said with prevention, early detection and treatment, chronic kidney disease can be prevented.

The organization's main goal is to create awareness about kidney disease and prevention, Irick said.

"The more educated the people are, the less likely they are to have kidney failure, and if we get the message out in time, it can be prevented," she said.

The Kidney Walk is a national fund-raising campaign. Individuals interested in leading a team should register online at www.kidneywalk.org or call the National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina at 1-800-488-2277.

Walkers who raise at least $100 earn the official Kidney Walk T-shirt. Those raising $200 or more can select from a variety of Kidney Walk prizes.

Representative from the NKFSC will be at Community Resource Bank from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, to accept pledges and registration for the walk. Pre-registration is encouraged, but on-site registration will be accepted.

The family-friendly event will feature entertainment, refreshments and sandwiches for sale as well as a "Kids Zone," where children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and participate in games and activities.

The Kidney Walk is sponsored nationally by Ocean Spray and Bayer and presented locally by Palmetto Nephrology/M.S. Nassri, M.D., RMC and Bamberg County Hospital.

T&D Features Writer Candace Newson can be reached by e-mail at cnewson@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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