Make Sure Your Family Reunion is Kidney Healthy This Summer
June 2012

If you are looking for new ideas to freshen up your family reunion this summer, look no further. The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) has many tools and resources to help you add a new activity or program where your family can have fun and learn together.

Five Tips to Get Healthy at Your Reunion

1. Start each day with a family walk during your reunion weekend;
2. Include team games into your reunion and make sure all ages have an active role;
3. Reach out to a local nursing school or organizations like Chi Eta Phi nursing sorority, the American Kidney Fund, and the National Kidney Foundation to possibly host a health screening;
4. Use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to engage younger family members and make them part of the planning process; and
5. Host a food tasting event or demonstration using healthy alternatives to educate your family about making small changes to their daily food selections. Family members can also vote on which dish they liked best and then take recipe cards to try out at home.

Want more ideas? Visit the newly-redesigned NKDEP website to learn more about the Family Reunion Initiative and how you can make kidney health education fun for all!

Sharing Her Story: Yvette Surls Explains How Diabetes Has Affected Her Life
Everyone has a story to tell. For Yvette, of Norfolk, Va., being diagnosed with diabetes and knowing that both high blood pressure and diabetes run in her family, she knew something had to change. Since diabetes and high blood pressure can lead to kidney failure, Yvette makes sure she manages her diabetes, and she encourages her loved ones to do the same.

"This is something serious," she said in a new video featured on NKDEP's website. "It's time to look at what you're your doing, look at what you're taking into your body, and really take care of yourself."

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