Approximately one in three individuals in Orangeburg, Bamberg and Calhoun counties have kidney disease, a statistic that an upcoming walk designed to raise research funds and promote awareness is determined to reduce.

The National Kidney Foundation of South Carolina is rallying Orangeburg and the surrounding communities for its fourth annual Kidney Walk, which will be held at Edisto Memorial Gardens on Thursday, Oct. 22. Registration for the two-mile walk is set for 5 p.m., followed by the walk at 6 p.m.

Community members gathered at the American Legion Hut on Riverside Drive earlier this month for the 2009 Orangeburg Kidney Walk kickoff. Claflin University president Dr. Henry Tisdale serves as honorary chairman. Claflin University executive vice president Drexel Ball spoke during the kickoff, challenging the university's students and others to join in what he considered a worthwhile cause.

"Let us band together, and let's make the 2009 walk bigger and better," he said, noting that service learning and community service are an integral part of the educational experience. In fact, Claflin students have already receive two consecutive awards from the NKFSC for having the largest Kidney Walk team. The university had 405 students participating last year.

Mary Higginbotham, NKFSC communications and legislative affairs coordinator and director of the local walk, said Orangeburg was the first place in the state to launch the Kidney Walk. She said Orangeburg had a good mix of community partners and patients affected by kidney disease. Nearly 1,000 walkers participated in last year's event.

"It has been a phenomenal success. This is helping us do ... what we do here in South Carolina. We're really working to make a difference," Higginbotham said. She said the Orangeburg community has raised $150,000 for kidney disease research since 2006, and the community is well on its way to achieving this year's fund-raising goal of $60,000.

One in eight people in South Carolina are living with chronic kidney disease, according to Higginbotham. She has said that it's imperative that individuals talk with their doctor about their kidney count and that individuals with hypertension and diabetes, the leading causes of kidney disease, should especially follow up on the condition of their kidneys.

The Kidney Mobile of the state NKF brings free health screenings to rural communities as part of the NKFSC's Kidney Early Evaluation Program. The Kidney Walk and the foundation's Kidney Cars programs are two ways through which funds are generated to support the program.

The purpose of the Aug. 6 reception was to not only present the Kidney Walk to Orangeburg, but also to invite the community to learn about the walk and how people can participate. Higginbotham said online team registration and participation in fund-raisers, such as the sale of pinups and "Love Your Kidneys" wristbands, are among the ways individuals can get involved. She said business offices, schools and churches can also hold raffles.

A new "Kidney Can Potty Gram" was also unveiled at the kickoff as a fun way to raise funds. A bright pink potty decorated with red, glow-in-the-dark polka dots garnered many laughs, but was touted as an effective way to raise hundreds of dollars in a day. Team members and other individuals can send $10 "potty grams" to any destination they wish, with their being a $15 removal fee for anyone wishing to have the potty removed from their yard, porch or wherever it lands.

"If you receive it and then you want to resend it somebody else, it's $25 total. You can contact any team member you know because this is a fund-raiser that will be operated by all of our walk teams," Higginbotham said. "If you don't know a team member and want to get some contacts, we (the NFKSC) can help. There will be a number on the potty, or they can call us just to say, 'I need to send it, and I don't know who to call.' I'll put them in touch with the team."

The easily recognizable potty has already made its way to Orangeburg City Hall and the Edisto Pet Clinic as part of the fund-raising campaign, she said, laughing.

The Kidney Walk is planned to be a two-mile trek down Riverside and back. Higginbotham said all activities for the walk, including vendor booth sales, will be held in Centennial Park. There will also be a Kids Zone, where kids can play games and trick-or-treat to receive candy and small prizes.

There is no fee to walk, but individuals who raise $100 will receive a Kidney Walk T-shirt. There will also be a T-shirt contest in which teams can participate. Each shirt -- short- or long-sleeved -- must include the words "Kidney Walk" and be turned in by 4:45 p.m. at the T-shirt contest booth on the day of the walk.

Bamberg resident Nona Clark, whose son donated a kidney to his ailing brother who lost kidney function in 1999, said she and fellow members of her Royal Red Hatters Club are once again set to participate in this year's walk. They've sold pinups and held plant sales and are now ready to don their royal red and purple for this year's walk.

"We'll look silly, but we have a good time," Clark said.

To learn more about kidney disease and the 2009 Kidney Walk, call the NKFSC at 1-800-488-2277, or visit kidneywalk.org to sign up for the walk. More kidney disease information can be found at kidneysc.org.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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