DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 2012-- DaVita (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announced a partnership with U.S. charity "Shoes That Fit" to provide shoes for at least 5,000 children nationwide.

In a community service event entitled "Shoes-a-palooza," next February and March, thousands of DaVita® teammates will join together to purchase at least 5,000 pairs of shoes for individual children, who will be identified and measured through the Shoes That Fit program. Shoes That Fit, aClaremont, California-based charity, partners with schools and sponsoring organizations to connect kids in need with those who can provide shoes.

"For DaVita patients, quality of life - contributing to family and community, being comfortable and living with dignity - is just as important as sustaining life itself," said Rich Seebold, divisional vice president at DaVita. "Unfortunately, these are things too many kids in need are worrying about as well. We feel called to help."

DaVita considers itself a community first and a company second and is called the DaVita Village by teammates. Community service events are known as "Village Service Days." Shoes-a-palooza will be the first nationwide Village Service Day DaVita has undertaken.

In late March of this year, DaVita teammates in Southern California provided more than 1,000 pairs of shoes to students at Lincoln Elementary in Santa Ana.

"My family really couldn't afford shoes for me and my sister," read one thank you note from a student. "You guys made a miracle for my family."

"Shoes That Fit is about helping kids improve their self-esteem," said Lee Kane, Shoes That Fit program manager. "Working with schools and our partners, we ensure kids can go to school in comfort, with dignity, allowing them to focus on their studies rather than their circumstances."

Shoes That Fit matches sponsoring groups with schools in their own communities that have children in need. A sponsor can be any group of people; a business, school, church, civic organization or simply a group of caring friends. Next, a sponsoring group decides how many children they can help. Their chosen school identifies the children most in need of new shoes and then measures these students for proper size and fit with materials provided by Shoes That Fit.

Finally, the sponsoring group uses this information to buy exactly what each child needs and makes the much-appreciated delivery to the school. By using this model with every sponsoring group across America, every penny donated goes directly to benefit a child.

In 2012, Shoes That Fit celebrated its 20th anniversary and also reached the milestone of providing its one millionth pair of shoes. More information is available at www.shoesthatfit.org.

DaVita® is a registered trademark of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita

DaVita is the dialysis division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of kidney care in the United States, DaVita delivers dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As ofSeptember 30, 2012, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,912 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 150,000 patients. The company also operated 24 outpatient dialysis centers located in five countries outside the United States. DaVita supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.

About Shoes That Fit

Shoes That Fit is a 501c3 organization founded in 1992. The mission of Shoes That Fit is to provide new shoes to children in need so they can attend school in comfort and with dignity, better prepared to learn and play. The Claremont, California-based national office supports chapters in 43 states across the country, providing new shoes to children at more than 1,500 schools last year. Shoes That Fit is proud to have earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, their highest, as well as earning recognition from the Better Business Bureau. For more information, please visit www.shoesthatfit.org.

Source: DaVita

DaVita
Lauren Moughon, 303-876-6612 (Office)
Mobile: 206-724-3826
Lauren.Moughon@DaVita.com