From left are Mitch Stone, Southern Tier Kidney Association vice president; Cam Miller; Jeanette Caprino, president of the WNY Kidney Connection; and Sam Pellerito, Southern Tier Kidney Association president.

The Southern Tier Kidney Association will host its 10th annual Kidney Challenge Walk on Sunday, July 7, starting and ending at St. James Roman Catholic Church.

Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. and the walk begins at 1:30 p.m.

The walk will pay special tribute to transplant patients and donors. The Jamestown area has had numerous successful transplants, so association officials want to honor those who have given and received the “gift of life” and encourage prospective donors to consider helping to bring new life to the many who are on a waiting list.

There are many opportunities to participate. Individuals, families, co-workers, and friends can register to walk, form a team, make a tax-deductible gift or sponsor a tribute butterfly online at www.southerntierkidneyassoc.org.

In addition to the walk, the event will include a tribute butterfly release at 1:15 p.m., music, picnic lunch and a basket giveaway. The goal is to raise $15,000 to support the association’s mission by helping kidney patients, including those on dialysis, at UPMC Chautauqua, kidney transplant donors and recipients through the WNY Kidney Connection, and to enhance community awareness of kidney disease.

Individuals and businesses are also being asked to consider donating items for the basket auction.

“We are so excited about this year’s walk as we raise awareness of chronic kidney disease and money to help local patients,” said Mitch Stone, chair of the 2019 STKA Kidney Challenge Walk and kidney transplant recipient.

“We also treasure the opportunity to honor individuals, who like myself, have battled kidney disease and enriched the lives of others.”

For more information about the Kidney Challenge Walk, contact Sam Pellerito at 485-3901 or spellerito@stny.rr.com, or Stone at 338-6421 or mcsmstone@yahoo.com.