AKF wrapped: 12 highlights of 2024 at AKF

Before we get our noisemakers and put on our goofy hats to celebrate the start of 2025, let's reflect on just some of the special moments of 2024. Here are 12 highlights from the year of AKF and our community in action! From our AKF Ambassadors to our Kidney Health Coaches to our KidneyNation fundraisers, we are proud of all we did together this year to fight kidney disease on all fronts.

January

AKF Ambassador and Kidney Health Coach Tamara Walker celebrated MLK Day at the MLK Celebration & Parade by sharing information with her community in Athens, Georgia about high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease and organ and tissue donation. 

February

AKF posted state grades this month! How did your home state do on AKF's 2024 State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card?

March

After receiving an AKF Ambassador Community Engagement (ACE) award, AKF Ambassador Artise Carr crushed her presentation at her Kidney Awareness event in Chicopee, Alabama! Held at her church, Artise shared her journey with kidney disease, including being on dialysis for 25 years, and was delighted to have a special guest join: her city's mayor! Definitely a highlight of Kidney Month!

April

In May 2023, Emani McConnell-Brent told us to "make APOL1 famous because the world needs to know" – and in April of this year, she did just that when PEOPLE told her story in honor of the first ever APOL-1 Mediated Kidney Disease Awareness Day, launched by AKF on April 30.

May

Our Education team traveled to Long Beach, California – but not to soak up some California sun. Nope, they were there to connect with other health care professionals and to share some of the research AKF is doing to help understand the problems people in the kidney disease community are facing – and to find solutions to those problems – at the National Kidney Foundation's Spring Clinical Meetings. 

June

A big mazel tov to Peyton Halpern, who celebrated his bar mitzvah on June 1. Inspired by his mother Emily's work as a renal dietitian, Peyton started his own KidneyNation fundraiser to raise money for people living with kidney disease for his bar mitzvah project. 

July

We were thrilled to team up with two-time Olympian and World Champion Gymnast Suni Lee on our Know Your Kidneys initiative! Suni made an incredible comeback in her gymnastics career after her kidney diagnosis, bringing home three medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is sharing her kidney disease experience and promoting the Know Your Cause pathway of the campaign, encouraging people to be their own advocate and to find the cause of their kidney disease.

August

With funding they received through AKF's Health Equity Grants, part of our Kidney Health for All™ program, the Pine Bluff Chapter of the Links, Incorporated hosted a community health fair at Old Saint James Church. This was just one of their kidney disease education events held throughout the year, which helped spread awareness about kidney disease prevention and educate those who are at risk of developing it.

September

A rare sighting on Capitol Hill: members of our Rare Kidney Disease Action Network (RKDAN)! As part of our Unknown Causes of Kidney Disease Summit, these AKF Ambassadors journeyed to Washington, D.C. to advocate for important kidney-related bills. Each member of RKDAN had a chance to share their kidney disease stories with their elected officials and urge them to support more research and early detection through the New Era of Preventing End Stage Kidney Disease Act.

October

Special guest,  actor and author Steve Guttenberg, wasn't the only one making us laugh at this year's annual gala, The Hope Affair. Our Hero of Hope, C. Alan Bennett also delighted as he accepted his award for making an impactful difference in his community. 

November

Relavo CEO and co-founder Sarah Lee spoke at our Patient Access Initiative Summit about increasing access to home dialysis by reducing at-home infection rates and educating the kidney patient community about dialysis options – both winning goals in our book.

December

A sweet ending to the year: our annual night of gingerbread house decorating with the amazing kids and families in our Camp Connections program! It's an honor for us to offer this monthly camp program completely free of charge to hundreds of pediatric kidney patients every year.

We are looking forward to continuing our work for (and with) the kidney community in 2025. Happy New Year everyone!