Women’s Basketball Steps Up to FIGHT PKD at Annual Walk

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont women's basketball team continued its community service initiative on Saturday, September 17 by joining hundreds of other Middle Tennesseans to 'Step Up to FIGHT PKD' at River Park in Brentwood, Tenn.  It marked the second consecutive year the Bruins spent the day volunteering at the PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Foundation's annual fundraiser.

In addition to participating in the walk, the team volunteered in the youth activity area, playing games with the youth in attendance.  The Bruins also posed for pictures and signed autographs.

"We were proud to participate in this event to raise awareness and raise funds to find a cure for PKD," said Assistant Coach Jonathan Davis.  "It was impressive to see our young women do their part in Belmont University's mission to engage and transform the world."

The Walk for PKD is the signature fund-raiser for the PKD Foundation whose mission is to promote programs of research, advocacy, education, support and awareness in order to discover treatments and a cure for PKD and improve the lives of all it affects.  Since PKD affects many members of families there is a strong network of passionate volunteers. 

PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) is one of the most common genetic life-threatening diseases for which there is currently no treatment or cure.  The devastating effects of PKD are passed on to 50 % of the children of an affected parent.  It destroys the kidneys by creating cysts and enlarging the kidneys until kidney failure occurs.  Although a normal kidney is roughly the size of a human fist, PKD kidneys can grow to be the size of a football or larger and weigh as much as 38 pounds each.  It affects 600,000 Americans, almost 12,000 Tennesseans, and 12.5 million people worldwide.  It is more common than Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and sickle cell anemia - combined. 

Please visit www.pkdcure.org to learn more information about Polycystic Kidney Disease.

To view photos from the event, click here.