The Kidney Community of Southern California

Celebrities to Attend The Ninth Annual Kidney Teen Prom

1/16/2008 - Celebrities to Attend The Ninth Annual Kidney Teen Prom

Media Advisory--Update

January 16, 2008
For Release Immediately

Contact: Heidi Lesemann
Renal Support Network
(866) 903-1728 Ext. 105;
Cell phone: (562) 743-9749
heidi@rsnhope.org

CELEBRITIES TO ATTEND THE NINTH ANNUAL KIDNEY TEEN PROM

GLENDALE, CA--The Ninth Annual Renal Teen Prom, Winter Elegance, sponsored by the Renal Support Network (RSN), is to be held
Sunday, January 20, 2008 from 6 - 11 pm at Notre Dame High School, 13645 Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks, California. This unique event attracts more than 350 kidney teens (ages 13-24) who are on dialysis, pre-dialysis or with a transplant, and their guests, coming from Washington D.C., Arizona, Massachussetts and Southern California. This years prom will be packed full of entertainment and celebrities.

The evenings emcee, Christy Carlson Romano, beloved by teens for creating her role as Ren in Even Stevens and in the Kim Possible series as well as reprising her role as Jackie Dorsey in Cutting Edge 3, will welcome John McCook (The Bold and the Beautiful), the ever-popular Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch) and Saige Ryan Campbell (I Heart Huckabees). Monica Potter (Along Came a Spider, Head Over Heels and Without Limits), Stephen Furst (Flounder in Animal House and Vir Cotto in Babylon 5) plus Mark Dacascos (Iron Chef Americas The Chairman) will join the festivities signing autographs and posing for photos with their fans.

The prom is a free event for teenagers and young adults with kidney disease and their guests set in the style of a gala senior prom. The young people are treated to a night of dancing and entertainment, dinner and hors doeuvres, raffle prizes, limousine rides, glamour photos, make-up and hair sessions.

Teenagers with kidney disease miss large amounts of school because of prolonged absences due to health. Many are on waiting lists to receive a transplant. The prom brings these young people together to share their experiences, strengths, and hopes--and to create friendships that will last a
lifetime.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing epidemic; 20 million Americans (1 in 9 adults) are in some stage of CKD. Most are unaware of it. Another 20 million Americans are at risk of developing CKD. The number of Americans diagnosed with CKD is doubling every decade. Currently, there are 74,162 people waiting on the kidney transplant list. For further information, check the RSN web site: RSNhope.org.

Sponsors of the Prom include Abbott, American Regent, Amgen, Astellas, Baxter, DaVita, Donate Life California, ESRD Network 18, Genzyme, and Watson in addition to contributions from individuals.

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