DENVER, Sep 17, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announced its launch of the 5th annual DaVita Kidney Awareness Run|Walks(TM) - a 10-city series of 5K events raising funds and awareness of CKD across the nation.

The run|walks kicked off in Chicago on Sept. 11 and will also take place in Cincinnati; Cleveland; St. Louis; Washington, D.C.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Ft. Worth, Texas; Sacramento and Long Beach, Calif.

A silent epidemic, CKD affects one in six Americans, totaling around 31 million adults, with most unaware they are suffering from it. The chance that an American adult has CKD is 12 times greater than an American woman's risk of getting breast cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize CKD as a major public health problem that reduces the quality and length of life.

"The statistics are staggering," said Annette Eros, president and CEO of The Kidney TRUST(TM). "Working with DaVita as a team moving toward a common goal, we can get the word out about the prevalence of the disease and the importance of getting tested right now."

The DaVita Kidney Awareness Run|Walks will feature entertainment and games for the entire family, as well as a kidney health expo to promote awareness of CKD. Rapid kidney disease screenings, provided by The Kidney TRUST, will be available for all participants at no charge. Participants will also be given the tools to educate their community about the importance of early testing. All funds raised for this year's events will benefit The Kidney TRUST, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to reduce the human and economic costs of chronic kidney disease.

For more information or to register for an event, please visit http://www.kidneyawarenesstime.org.

DaVita and the DaVita Kidney Awareness Run/Walks are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About The Kidney TRUST

Founded in 2006, the Kidney TRUST is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the human and economic cost of kidney disease. The Kidney TRUST is focused on increasing awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) through public education and testing programs so that progression of CKD to kidney failure can be delayed or prevented. The Kidney TRUST is also developing innovative solutions to address the critical unmet needs of people with CKD. Visit http://www.kidneytrust.org for more information.

About DaVita

DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500(R) company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services and education to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of June 30, 2010, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,582 outpatient dialysis facilities, serving approximately 122,000 patients. DaVita develops, participates in and donates to numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and our environment. The company's leadership development initiatives and corporate social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune,Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu, among others. For more information, please visitwww.davita.com.

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc.
Kelsey Rood
310-536-2404
Kelsey.Rood@davita.com