The Link

10/25/2012
Nebraska Kidney Association

NEBRASKANS SERVING NEBRASKANS

Attention Members of Nebraska Media Outlets:

The Nebraska Kidney Association asks that every effort is made to use the attached press release.

We recently learned that the National Kidney Foundation is once again sending out-of-state representatives to Nebraska in an effort to raise funding for a patient education day, a program already offered by the Nebraska Kidney Association.

A few years ago, the national group opened an office in Omaha. During the year and three months they remained viable, they held two screenings and raised several thousands of dollars through a fundraising walk. These efforts failed to produce much more than confusion for people of Nebraska who are aware of only one kidney advocacy and educational entity in Nebraska; the same agency that has been in business for 44 years, the Nebraska Kidney Association.

The national group advertises an Omaha address, which is a post office box and has no physical representation in this state. The next closest office is located in St. Paul, MN or St. Louis, MO, both too far to offer any adequate coverage in Nebraska.

Our Board of Directors voted to disaffiliate due to the national foundation's intention to regionalize, forcing the local affiliates to relinquish control of funding to the national headquarters in New York, a practice still in effect with the national affiliates across the country.

It is our intention with the attached press release to remind the people of Nebraska that the NKA is a local service agency which guarantees 100% of the money raised through our various fundraising events, stays in the community and is not diverted to a national office far removed from the Midwest. We pride ourselves in being Nebraskans serving Nebraskans and take offense to a national organization duplicating services and taking advantage of our Nebraska generosity and hospitality. We hope you can help us share the Nebraska Kidney Association's mission, determination and resolve to help prevent or prolong the onset of kidney disease, as well as to help those already affected.

Thank you.

Timothy R. Neal
CEO

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NEBRASKANS SERVING NEBRASKANS

October 23, 2012 The Nebraska Kidney Association (NKA) has changed its name a few times over the past 44 years; but our mission has never changed:

To improve the lives of all Nebraskans though advocacy, education, early disease detection and patient services.

When the Board of Directors voted to disaffiliate with the National Kidney Foundation over five years ago, the NKA became an independent, local agency focused on serving the people of Nebraska.

The NKA continued to hold free early disease detection screenings throughout the state, from Alliance to Omaha, hosting events in eleven cities in 2011 and twelve in 2012. Our goal is to increase the number of venues every year in order to serve more and more people;

The NKA continues to host patient education days and invites kidney and transplant patients throughout the state;

The NKA continues to offer educational opportunities to medical professionals;

The NKA continues to advocate for kidney and transplant patients and to educate people about organ transplantation and donation;

The NKA continues to offer free educational programs for elementary students to better understand kidney and overall health and organ donation; and

The NKA continues to help kidney and transplant patients through emergency financial assistance and free medic alert jewelry.

The Nebraska Kidney Association changed its name in order to keep focused on the nearly 300,000 Nebraskans who either have or are at risk for developing kidney disease and to guarantee that 100% of all money raised here, stays here, so we can continue to be Nebraskans serving Nebraskans.

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(Contact: Tim Neal, 402-932-7200, NE Toll Free 800-642-1255)