DaVita Inc. , a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), will join nearly 400 teammates (employees), family members and friends from around the country in Greenville, Michigan, this weekend to kick off the third annual Tour DaVita™ - a three-day, 250-mile bike ride to raise awareness and funds for the fight against kidney disease.

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A silent epidemic, CKD affects approximately 26 million American adults and 90 percent are unaware they are suffering from it. The chance that an American adult has CKD is almost as high as an American woman's risk of getting breast cancer.

To participate in Tour DaVita, riders raised a minimum of $750 in donations each and paid their own travel expenses. Their individual fundraising combined with donations from DaVita and other corporate sponsorship is expected to contribute more than $600,000 dollars - enough to screen nearly 10,000 people for kidney disease. The proceeds of Tour DaVita will be donated to The Kidney TRUST™, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to prevent kidney disease through public education and awareness across the United States.

By the end of the 2009 ride, nearly 800 DaVita teammates, physicians, family members and friends will have participated in the three annual Tour DaVita events - riding approximately 600,000 miles collectively and raising more than $1,600,000.

"We chose Michigan as the site for the third annual ride for a number of reasons - the most important being the need for kidney education," said Kent Thiry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DaVita. "It is estimated that 239,000 Michigan residents have CKD and 90 percent of them don't know it. We feel that our presence in various Michigan communities will help spread awareness about the causes of CKD and hopefully encourage citizens to make significant life changes."

"The CKD statistics are staggering," said Barbara Lawson, President and CEO of The Kidney TRUST. "As a team moving towards a common goal, we can get the word out about the importance of getting tested right now."

For more information about the third annual Tour DaVita, please visit www.tourdavita.org. For more information about The Kidney TRUST, visit www.kidneytrust.org.

DaVita and Tour DaVita are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, providing dialysis services and education for patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita has been recognized as the only FORTUNE 500 company on WorldBlu's annual List of Most Democratic Workplaces™. As of June 30, 2009, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,493 outpatient dialysis facilities and acute units in approximately 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 116,000 patients. As part of DaVita's commitment to building a healthy, caring community, DaVita develops, participates in and donates to numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and our environment. For more information about DaVita, its kidney education materials and its community programs, please visit www.davita.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: LeAnne.Zumwalt@davita.com

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.