Fresenius Medical Care Partners with the Boys and Girls Club of America to Deliver Kidney Health Education

Fresenius Medical Care North America leaders gathered on World Kidney Day with the kids of the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) in Naples, FL to kick off a partnership designed to deliver kidney health education to children nationwide.

Donned with the capes and masks of Fresenius Medical Care’s Kidney Kid, the superhero who promotes kidney health through edutainment, the children of BGCA Naples played educational iPad games, completed coloring books, and played a few rounds of red light, green light alongside our employees.

“Our partnership with Fresenius Medical Care allowed our youth to learn about key health topics related to kidney disease and prevention and emphasizes the importance of healthy habits and healthy lifestyle choices to help children reach their full potential,” says Megan McCarthy Beauvais, President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County.

This event was the first to take place after FMCNA publicly announced a $250,000 donation to BGCA to fund their Healthy Habits program, designed to foster healthy eating and living habits at an early age. The FMCNA visit to the Boys & Girls Club in Naples was the first of 20 similar visits planned across the country. Through these events, FMCNA will spread awareness about kidney health to 2,000 youths.

“Despite the fact that 1 in 7 people are estimated to have kidney disease, there is a lack of awareness about risk factors and kidney health. It’s really important for us to connect with young people about good habits that protect against kidney disease and help create a population much more aware of the important role our kidneys play in our health, said Felicia Speed, PhD, LMSW, Vice President of Social Work Services. “It’s also our hope that a child might bring home what they learned to their parents and spark some discussion about the topic within their family.”

The event in Naples was a successful start to an exciting partnership between FMCNA and BGCA that will help raise awareness about kidney disease and educate kids on forming the healthy habits that guard against it.

“We could not have found a better partner than the Boys & Girls Club. They’re in every market in which we have centers, so this really allows us to reach kids across the entire United States.” Said Kathleen Belmonte, Chief Nursing Officer and SVP Clinical Services.

Head over to the Fresenius Medical Care Kidney Kid website to meet the kidney superheroes and explore the resources the program has to offer.