DENVER, Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) today announced Tour DaVita, an annual cycling event, raised $1.2 million to benefit Bridge of Life, a nonprofit founded by DaVita that supports medical missions in the U.S. and abroad. During Tour DaVita, many DaVita teammates, physicians, patients and loved ones ride to increase awareness of kidney disease and to encourage vital kidney health screenings.

"Tour DaVita is a special annual event where riders from all over the world come together to support bringing quality kidney health to those in need, while promoting a healthy lifestyle and having fun," said Dave Hoerman, chief wisdom officer for DaVita. "I'm incredibly proud of all of our riders this year, many of whom were riding to honor family members and friends."

Tour DaVita took place in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania over the course of three days, with 541 riders participating in the event, collectively riding a total of 90,350 miles. Tour DaVita hero and kidney transplant recipient, Ginger Melton, revved up the starting line asking cyclists to remember why they chose to ride. On the second day, nearly 200 riders took on the grueling 100-mile route known as the "century." On the third and final day, 90 Pennsylvania-based teammates flanked the finish line to bring everyone home.

To participate in the event, riders were required to meet a fundraising goal and pay their own travel expenses. Individual fundraising combined with donations from DaVita and other corporate sponsorships raised more than $1.2 million for Bridge of Life. To date, Tour DaVita has helped raise more than $12 million to raise awareness of kidney disease.

"Funds raised at Tour DaVita will be used to help establish sustainable health programs aimed at preventing and treating chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease," said Greta Walker, senior director of donor relations and communications for Bridge of Life. "We can't wait to see the how many more lives we can change as we strengthen health care systems to prevent and treat chronic diseases, thanks to the generosity of so many who contributed to Tour DaVita."

This year's Tour DaVita sponsors included: Amgen; ASD Healthcare; Meridian; Dell Technologies; Henry Schein, Inc.; Wells Fargo; Baxter; ADI Construction of Virginia LLC; NxStage Medical; MUFG; Tata Consultancy Services and WellDyneRx.

For more information about Tour DaVita, please visit TourDaVita.org or Facebook.com/TourDaVita.

For more information about Bridge of Life, please visit BridgeofLifeInternational.org or Facebook.com/BridgeofLifeInternational. 

About DaVita Inc. 
DaVita is a Fortune 500® health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. The company is the largest provider of kidney care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for 20 years. Through DaVita Kidney Care, the company treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita is committed to bold, patient-centric care models, implementing the latest technologies and moving toward integrated care offerings for all. Through these efforts, DaVita has also become the largest provider of home dialysis in the country. As of June 30, 2019, DaVita served 204,900 patients at 2,723 outpatient dialysis centers in the United States. The company also operated 248 outpatient dialysis centers in nine countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care industry to adopt an equitable and high-quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.

Bridge of Life
Bridge of Life (BOL), an independent 501(c)(3) public charity founded by DaVita Inc., is an international nonprofit organization working to strengthen health care globally through sustainable programs that prevent and treat chronic disease. Our vision is a world where all human beings have access to quality health care. We strive to empower local staff, community health workers and patients through training and education to make sustainable changes to health care.

Contact:
Abby Domenico
abby.domenico@davita.com
(303) 876-7274

SOURCE DaVita Inc.