The organization’s largest event of the year will be heldvirtually for the first time in history
NephCure Kidney International (NephCure), a nonprofit dedicated to finding cures for patients suffering from rare and chronic kidney diseases like FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome, will be hosting its 20th Anniversary Countdown to a Cure event on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m., live-streaming globally for the first time ever. This year marks NephCure’s 20th anniversary, a significant milestone for the only organization focused on advancing research and care for rare, protein-spilling kidney diseases.
“We have made incredible progress in a relatively short 20 years, and we are now so close to seeing the first new treatments for FSGS and related kidney diseases—a remarkable achievement. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate this milestoneand thank our global community of supporters who made this possible,” said NephCure CEO Joshua Tarnoff.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected NephCure’s ability to host the event in-person, the organization is committed to celebrating these achievements and further advancing its mission. At this year’s online event, attendees can enjoy a virtual cocktail party, join watch parties from across the country, bid in an online auction, and enjoy an incredible program leading up to the featured entertainer, comedian Sebastian Maniscalco.
NephCure will also recognize Dr. Martin R. Pollak, the George C. Reisman Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Nephrology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, as the 2020 Distinguished Medical Honoree. His NephCure-funded studies have discovered one of the biggest breakthroughs in kidney disease research over the past 20 years—the discovery of the APOL1 gene’s association with FSGS.Mutations in the APOL1gene carry up to a ten-fold increased risk among Black individualsfor developing kidney disease.
In addition, NephCure will present its 20th Anniversary Humanitarian of the YearAward to Elise Warhaftig. Elise lost her teenage son to FSGS in 2018, and she continues to fight tirelessly to find a cure for the disease as a dedicated NephCure volunteer; in her more than 10-year involvement with NephCure, she has helped raised close to $500,000 to support the organization’s mission.Her community in Hingham, Massachusetts, has rallied around her family for many years and plays a big part of NephCure’s 20th Anniversary celebration.
For more information about the 20th Anniversary Countdown to a Cure, please visit give.NephCure.org/Countdown2020.
About NephCure Kidney International
NephCure Kidney International’s mission is to accelerate research for effective treatments for rare forms of Nephrotic Syndrome, and to provide education and support that will improve the lives of those affected by these protein-spilling kidney diseases. Founded in 2000 by a group of committed patient parents, NephCure has invested more than $40 million in kidney disease research and helped create a landscape where there are now nearly 30 interventional drug trials for primary glomerular kidney diseases. NephCure is a U.S. tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity.
