Best Selling Authors Gather Virtually with Fans to Raise Awareness and Funds for Kidney Disease

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Nov 02, 2021, 08:04 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than three decades, hundreds of avid readers in the San Francisco Bay Area have had the opportunity to lunch with their favorite authors during the Annual NKF Authors Luncheon Benefit. Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year's "You've Read Them, Now Meet Them" event will once again be held virtually, which will allow fans worldwide a chance to meet their favorite authors.

Best Selling Authors Gather Virtually with Fans to Raise Awareness and Funds for Kidney Disease

On Saturday, November 13^th at 12PM PT/3PM ET, guests will enjoy talks by best-selling authors discussing their latest books: Walter Mosley, The Awkward Black Man, Mary Roach, Fuzz, Pulitzer Prize winner, Elizabeth Strout, Oh William! and, Amor Towles, with his New York Times best-seller, The Lincoln Highway.

"There are 37 million adults in the U.S. with kidney disease, yet 90% don't even know they have it," said Shelia Gordon, volunteer chair of the Authors Luncheon. "By engaging with an exponentially larger virtual audience to support this important cause, we hope to benefit so many more people served by NKF's programs. It's like the silver lining in the dark cloud of the pandemic."

One in three adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease and need to know if they have it before it progresses to the late stages. Approximately 785,000 Americans have irreversible kidney failure and need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. More than 555,000 of these patients receive dialysis to replace kidney function and 230,000 live with a transplant. Nearly 100,000 Americans are on the waitlist for a kidney transplant right now. Depending on where a patient lives, the average wait time for a kidney transplant can be upwards of three to seven years; everyday 12 people die waiting.

"This is why this event is not just about authors getting together with their fans," Gordon said. "We have the opportunity to build awareness and help change lives. Because last year's event was also virtual, a first-time attendee from Indiana became a living kidney donor this past June. This kind of impact is immeasurable and serves as a reminder of our purpose."

In years past, up to 1,000 booklovers attended the event in San Francisco, but now event coordinators hope to draw an even broader, global audience by holding the event virtually. All authors donate their time for the event. Hosted by Emmy Award winning radio & TV personality Liam Mayclem, with special guests Michael Krasny from NPR's Forum and celebrated author, Gail Tsukiyama, tickets are available for a range of prices starting at just $75. All guests will receive a book or books with registration; tickets can be purchased at kidney.org/authors.

"During the pandemic, many of us rekindled our love of reading and we are grateful to all of the authors participating in the virtual Authors Luncheon Benefit to help those affected by kidney disease," said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant patient. "COVID-19 was devastating to the kidney community and the funds raised through this unique event are needed now more than ever so that we can continue providing patients and families with the support, resources, and information they need during these extraordinarily challenging times."

This event would not be possible without generous sponsorship from the following: Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Satellite Healthcare and Wilson Dow.

For information about the Authors Luncheon, visit kidney.org/authors or email [email protected]

Kidney Disease Facts
About Kidney Disease in the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don't know they have it. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black/African American people are more than 3 times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics/Latinos are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.

About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.

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SOURCE National Kidney Foundation