Dear Kidney Organization or Healthcare Professional...

Help send a young kidney patient to the RSN Renal Teen Prom  in Washington, D.C. on May 10, 2008. Hold a fundraiser or sponsor a teen (or two!).

If you do, you can use the following press release to let your local media (newspapers, TV, radio) know of your generosity. Just fill in the correct information, modify it any way you want, and you’re set to go!

YOUR ORGANIZATION Sends Young Kidney Patient to California Prom

YOUR ORGANIZATION is proud to be sponsoring a “kidney teen” on a trip to Washington, D.C.  in May  to attend a special prom for young people with kidney disease. PATIENT’S NAME from CITY will be going to the annual Renal Support Network Renal Teen Prom (renal is another word for kidney), which will be staged on the East Coast for the first time after having been successfully produced in the Los Angeles area for the past nine years.   The Renal Teen Prom is  created and organized by The Renal Support Network, a nonprofit, patient-run organization that instills “health, happiness, and hope” into the lives of kidney patients and their families.

“Dancing Under the Stars” is the theme of the  Prom, which will  be held May 10, 2008, on the campus of DeMatha  High School in Hyattsville, Maryland.

The prom is a free event set in the style of a senior prom. More than 150 “kidney teens” (ages 14-24), their guests, and volunteers from throughout the region and across the United States are expected to attend.

The young people are treated to an elegant night of dancing and entertainment, dinner and hors d’oeuvres, limousine rides, prom  photos, entertainment, and special appearances by celebrities who sign autographs and mingle with the guests. They also are given the chance to discover that one friend can make a difference!

RSN’s Renal Teen Prom gives young kidney patients the opportunity to interact with each other and share experiences in a fun setting.

Although a single night cannot make up for all the lost experiences that young kidney patients encounter, it does show them, some for the first time, that they can live a fulfilling, successful life despite their problems. One of the key ingredients for living that type of life is to connect with others who understand what they’re going through. What better place to do it than among the stars?

The prom has become one of the nation's most inspirational news stories, with live telecasts appearing on local area TV stations. A special on the prom was featured on cable’s Lifetime Television, and a young girl who attended the prom wrote about her experience in Teen Magazine. 

PATIENT’S NAME was selected to attend the prom because of TELL STORY...

For more information on RSN’s Renal Teen Prom and to view photos from past proms, visit www.RSNhope.org. All kidney patients (pre-dialysis, on dialysis, or with a transplant) between the ages of 14 and 24 are invited and can bring a guest. To receive an invitation to the prom, contact RSN at (818) 543-0896 or info@RSNhope.org, or contact YOUR ORGANIZATION at CONTACT INFORMATION for more information.

Kidney disease is more common than many might think and affects people of all ages. If left unchecked, the kidneys stop working altogether. The person then needs kidney dialysis (a blood-cleansing treatment) or a kidney transplant. More than 400,000 people in the U.S. are on dialysis. and about 65,000 are waiting for a transplant.

GIVE DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AND ITS ROLE IN THE KIDNEY COMMUNITY.

To help support YOUR ORGANIZATION in sending a teen to the prom, donations are welcome and can be sent to CONTACT INFORMATION.