News

For the first time since 2019, the BC & Yukon Branch was able to host the annual leadership conference in person, with the largest attendance ever of more than 100 people from across BC, the Yukon and other parts of Canada, who came together November 3-4. Thank you to Branch president, Glenn Powers, for opening the conference, and Elizabeth Myles (executive director, National) and Kurtis Krug (National Board president) for presenting on The Kidney Foundation’s National Chronic Kidney Disease Strategy. A special thanks is extended to Dr. Adeera Levin (professor, Faculty of Medicine and head, Division of Nephrology, UBC; executive director, BC Renal) for her talk on Positive Changes Within the Kidney Landscape. Thank you to all of our speakers who gave of their time and expertise, and most importantly, to our volunteers who have made the Branch an incredible force for change. Three Circle of Excellence Awards and the President’s Award were handed out to leading volunteers who made a significant impact on the kidney community in 2023.

Dani Renouf (top left)
As a registered dietitian with over 20 years of experience working with patients and clients in chronic disease prevention and management, Dani’s expertise has been an incredible source of knowledge and support. She has served in an advisory capacity for the Kidney Community Kitchen, writing numerous nutritional blogs, sharing, reviewing and testing recipes. She has also appeared on Kidney PLUGGED IN TV, preparing kidney-friendly dishes and helping to spread awareness and education amongst our public audiences. Most recently Dani has been integral to the Kidney Wellness Hub, and together with her co-host, Anja Webster, helped launch the virtual series of “Come Cook with Us” classes.

Marcus and Heather Ouimet (top right)
In the face of a difficult and unexpected situation with their daughter, Marissa, Marcus and Heather organized the first—and now ongoing—Kidney Walk in Merritt, and have truly turned it into an opportunity to make a positive impact and provide support to others going through similar experiences. Their efforts have not only touched the lives of those directly impacted by kidney disease, but have also brought the issue to the attention of the wider community. Their advocacy has created a ripple effect of awareness and compassion that will continue to grow in the years to come. Through their resilience and determination in overcoming the challenges they faced with Marissa, Heather and Marcus are setting an amazing example for their daughter who will be taking a leadership role in organizing the 2024 Merritt Kidney Walk Merritt.

Michele Neale for Chinook Therapeutics (bottom left)
Chinook Therapeutics took a special interest in Michele Neale’s inspiring story at the 9th Kidney Gala, and a year later, she joined their ranks to bring her HR background to the company as well. Since then, Chinook Therapeutics has been an outstanding supporter and advocate for kidney patients. They continue to support the Gala as platinum sponsors, and also joined the Living Donor Circle of Excellence in 2022, a corporate recognition program (see article below). Chinook Therapeutics employees should be proud of their achievements at the Kidney Walk. Their dedication and commitment demonstrate their compassion and desire to create a positive impact in the community, and in the process raised $17,880 in much-needed funds for kidney disease research and support programs.

Vivian Short, Teresa Atkinson, and Annik Lim (bottom right)
It would take a book to write about all of Teresa, Vivian, and Annick’s incredible volunteer contributions to The Kidney Foundation, including their support of the Kidney Walk campaign, initiating the Warm the Soles sock campaign, garnering media attention, patient and care partner advocacy, and the list goes on. These ladies have been instrumental to the Branch’s success. Most recently, they realized that members of the kidney community (patients, care partners, living donors, clinicians, and family) were in need of a safe, private space online to come together and connect. With that in mind, they created the volunteer-driven online meeting place, Kidney Friends Circle. This space – established by the kidney community, for the kidney community – is a place to share anything kidney, including lived experiences, have open discussions, make connections, and post kidney-related events. With now close to 500 members and growing, it is a great place to interact with each other and build a community, and share health and wellness tips, favourite recipes, pet photos, music and more.