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DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), announced that Tammy Elzy, a Lindstrom resident, will ride to raise money for kidney awareness in the 2010 Tour DaVita bike ride through Washington.

On Sept. 19, Elzy will ride alongside DaVita teammates (employees), family and friends riding a total of 250 miles over the course of three days. The ride will kick-off in Tacoma and end in Shelton - all in the effort to raise awareness and funds in the fight against CKD.

A silent epidemic, CKD affects 31 million adult Americans, with more than 360,000 individuals suffering from kidney failure and currently on dialysis. The chance that an American adult has CKD is almost as high as an American woman's risk of getting breast cancer, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize CKD as a major public health problem that not only reduces the quality and length of life, but is also expensive to treat.

"To be among a group of people so dedicated to this cause is truly inspiring," said Elzy. "This is an opportunity for me to push myself physically for all of our dialysis patients who struggle physically every day. I am proud to be a part of this dedicated team of kidney care advocates and am confident that together we can make a real difference."

To participate in the 2010 Tour DaVita, each rider raised a minimum of $750 in donations and paid his/her own travel expenses. The participants' individual fundraising combined with DaVita and other corporate sponsorships is expected to contribute more than $700,000 to The Kidney TRUST, a non-profit organization working to prevent kidney disease through public education and awareness across the United States.

For more information about the 2010 Tour DaVita, please visit www.tourdavita.org.

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