DaVita Inc., a leading provider of dialysis services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and disease, today announced that more than 200 teammates from centers around the country who were supported with contributions from their local regions will participate in the Tour DaVita bicycle ride. Participants in the Tour DaVita will ride a 230-mile route over four days in an effort to raise awareness and funds for fighting kidney disease.

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Tour DaVita kicks off Wednesday morning, September 12, in Sheffield, Alabama. Participants will ride along the Natchez Trace Parkway visiting several DaVita dialysis centers along the way. Riders will complete the final day, Saturday, September 15, with a closing ceremony at DaVita Team Music City in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Tour DaVita is designed to raise awareness and funds for The Kidney TRUST, an independent public charity founded by DaVita in 2006 to complement the efforts of other nonprofit organizations that focus on chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as to pioneer the development of innovative solutions to address the critical unmet needs of people with CKD. To participate in Tour DaVita, each rider raised a minimum of $1,000 in donations and paid their own travel expenses. More than 200 riders have raised over $350,000. This combined with DaVita and other corporate sponsorship total an expected contribution of over $600,000 dollars for The Kidney TRUST.

"The 29,000 teammates of DaVita call ourselves a village. We see ourselves as a community first and as a company second. I'm proud of the example DaVita teammates have set as role models in American healthcare both in their centers and in organizing the Tour DaVita," said Kent Thiry, DaVita Chief Executive Officer, who plans to ride in the Tour DaVita. "In America, a huge percentage of kidney disease goes undiagnosed. The funds raised will provide much needed CKD awareness, education and prevention programs."

More information about Tour DaVita and The Kidney TRUST can be found at http://www.tourdavita.com/.

About The Kidney TRUST

The Kidney TRUST aims to benefit the 20 million American adults living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), as well as the 320,000 Americans with kidney failure who are on dialysis. The TRUST was formed to increase awareness of kidney disease through public education and testing programs so that progression of CKD to kidney failure can be delayed or prevented.

About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500® company, is one of the largest providers of dialysis services in the United States, providing dialysis services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita manages over 1,300 outpatient centers and acute units in over 700 hospitals located in 42 states and the District of Columbia, serving over 100,000 patients. For more information please visit http://www.davita.com/.

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.