National Kidney Foundation of Maryland Honors its Volunteers

LUTHERVILLE, Md. – The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland (NKF-MD) recently held its annual Volunteer Awards Reception at The Baltimore Museum of Industry.

Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Nephrology Associates, the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland and Johns Hopkins Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, the event recognized individuals and organizations for their time and hard work in the fight against kidney disease, which remains #9 in the top 10 causes of death.

“We could not exist without our volunteers whose efforts help us to make the community aware of the life-sustaining role the kidneys play in their health, and of the risk factors and real dangers presented by kidney disease,” said NKF-MD Board Chairman Christopher Simon. “Only this awareness will enable those at risk to prevent the onset of early stage illness and those with early kidney disease from experiencing organ failure.”

With WJZ-TV’s Ron Matz as emcee, NKF-MD presented the following 30 awards: 

I. Community All-Star Awards
▪ Greater Baltimore Community and Patient Services Committee All-Star: Mary Kaiser, LCSW

▪ Delmarva Community and Patient Services Committee All-Star: Wendy Corkran

▪ Delmarva Community and Patient Services Committee All-Star: Stephanie Elliott

▪ Western Maryland Community and Patient Services Committee All-Star: Jeremy Yospin, MD

▪ Golf Committee All-Star: Greg Jacobson

▪ Santé Committee All-Star Award: M&T Bank

▪ Committee All-Star for Video Production: Dominic DeLauney

▪ Committee All-Star for Creative Partner of the Year: Sean Scheidt

▪ Board Development Committee All-Star: Bettina McDavid

▪ Marketing Committee All-Star: Leslie Gilden

▪ Southern Delaware Kidney Walk Committee All-Star: Kristy and Michael Ferracci

▪ Southern Delaware Kidney Walk Committee All-Star: Jimmy O’Conor

▪ Greater Baltimore Kidney Walk Logistics and Planning Committee All-Star: Sarah Cicero of Lutherville

▪ Greater Baltimore Kidney Walk Revenue Committee All-Star: Paul Tiburzi

▪ Greater Baltimore Kidney Walk Youth Volunteer All-Star: Jerome Lechasseur

▪ Salisbury Kidney Walk Committee All-Star: Sharon Hurley

▪ Western Maryland Kidney Walk Committee All-Star: Mike Hernick

▪ Rappel for Kidney Health Committee All-Star: David Leeser, MD, FACS

▪ Western Maryland Kidney Ride Committee All-Star: Silvester Shultz 

II. Premiere Awards
▪ Outstanding 3rd Party Fundraiser of the Year: Ballers Invitational Golf

▪ Outstanding Ambassador of the Year: Rev. Barry Hargove

▪ Ambassador Family of the Year: The Karlan Family.

▪ Foundation Partner of the Year: Charles T. Bauer Foundation

▪ Corporate Partner of the Year: FutureCare

▪ Media Partner of the Year: Baltimore Business Journal

▪ Health System Partner of the Year: MedStar Health Systems

▪ Community Health Partner of the Year: Mid-Atlantic Nephrology Associates

▪ Linda Cameron Award for Patient Services: Christine Leodler, RD, LDN

▪ Chairman’s Award: Wells Fargo

▪ Volunteer of the Year: Ben Simpkins

In addition to honoring the volunteers, the reception celebrated NFK-MD’s many accomplishments throughout the year, such as:

• KEY: Kidneys, Evaluate Yours (KEY) free community health screenings reached more than 925 people, identifying at least 24 percent of these individuals with a possible risk factor for kidney disease.

• The Kidney Health Risk Assessment (KHRA) reached more than 500 people with information and awareness about kidney disease. 

• More than 1,000 people have been reached through NKF-MD’s participation in community and corporate health fairs.

• NKF-MD is on target to raise more than $1 million through special events such as such as the Greater Baltimore Kidney Walk, which broke records for drawing more than 5,000 walkers and raising $345,000. Overall, the Baltimore Kidney Walk has grown to #2 for NKF spring events held nationally.

• The Foundation continued to fund $200,000 to valuable life-saving research in Maryland, which is more funding towards research than any other NKF division or affiliate in the country! 

• NKF-MD’s patient emergency assistance program funded approximately $200,000 to meet the emergency needs of dialysis patients and transplant recipients, whose lives have been dramatically altered by kidney disease. 

• The Foundation spent $12,000 on medical alert jewelry for patients.

About NKF-MD
Now celebrating its 50th year as an affiliate, the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland serving central and western Maryland, the Delmarva Peninsula and portions of West Virginia, is the area’s only voluntary health agency dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of kidney and urinary tract diseases. For more information, visit www.kidneymd.org.