Share Your Spare 5K Run/Walk raises awareness for kidney disease while emphasizing the need for more registered organ donors.
Join us for the second annual Share Your Spare 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, September 5, 2015 at 9:00am at The Kentucky Horse Park to help raise awareness for kidney disease while emphasizing the need for more registered organ donors. Share Your Spare was created last year by Lexington residents Ryan and Bridgit Buffington to bring attention to kidney disease and organ donation. At just 36 years old,
Ryan was diagnosed with stage four kidney disease, and placed on the kidney/pancreas transplant waiting list in May 2014. Share Your Spare 5K was a way for Ryan and Bridgit to share their story. Since last year's 5K, Ryan received his kidney/pancreas transplant and is now healthier than ever. This year, Ryan and Bridgit have teamed up with The Kidney Health Alliance of Kentucky to plan Share Your Spare 5K, which will help Kentucky kidney patients who are struggling to get onto the transplant waiting list. After receiving so much support through Share Your Spare last year, Ryan and Bridgit felt as though this was the perfect "pay it forward" opportunity. Funds raised through this year's Share Your Spare 5K will support "Get Healthy, Get Transplanted," a new program created by The Kidney Health Alliance of Kentucky (KHAKY). In order to be approved for an organ transplant, patients must undergo medical testing and evaluation, some of which includes having a healthy weight (BMI), a dental exam to confirm no active infections, and smoking cessation. For some kidney disease patients, meeting this criteria can be challenging. "Get Healthy, Get Transplanted" will assist these patients by providing them with a dentist, health coach, and/or fitness centers which will make overcoming their obstacles possible so that they can be approved for placement on the transplant waiting list. By participating in Share Your Spare 5K Run/Walk, you will support these individuals while bringing awareness to kidney disease and the significance of becoming an organ donor. Since kidneys come in pairs, you have the unique opportunity to "Run as a Spare" or "Run as a Pair." There is also a VIRTUAL RUNNER category for runners/walkers who live outside of Lexington and would like to show their support by running/walking a 5K in their respective community on September 5th. Your $30 registration fee includes shipping and handling for your race T-shirt and custom race bib. We encourage our virtual runners to post a photo of yourself during your run/walk on our page, www.facebook.com/shareyourspare5k. There will also be a Kids One Mile Fun Run for kids 12 and under. Regardless of how or where you participate, we hope you will join us on September 5th to show support for kidney disease patients.
