SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. The Northeast Kidney Foundation is celebrating the 10th anniversary of their "Catwalk for Kidneys" fundraiser this year.

They are hosting a virtual fashion show, which lets them hold their fundraiser while working around the pandemic. The event will be livestreamed over Facebook on Nov. 8.

"We're really excited about it, excited to be able to hold it in this new format," said Carol LaFleur, executive director of Northeast Kidney Foundation. "We're grateful to all of our sponsors, and to Macy's for styling all our models."

Major sponsors for the Catwalk this year include Keeler Mercedes-Benz, Martin Harding and Mazzotti LLP, Nysopba, Fresenius Kidney Care, and DCI.

Macy's, for the third year in a row, is also a supporting sponsor. They are providing all the fashions the models will be wearing on the virtual catwalk. Adding their own fashionable flair to the event is local retailer Haute Messes in Dresses, who have designed a unique t-shirt specifically for the Catwalk for Kidneys.

"It was so fun going shopping at Macy's and getting styled," said Carney McGuire, one of this year's models along with her husband Duane Beach. "We wound up buying everything we tried on! We're doing a couple's photoshoot. We wanted something fun and fall-themed, so we went for a casual couple's day out in the city."

McGuire first got involved with Northeast Kidney Foundation last year, when she was working at Rivers Casino. The Catwalk for Kidneys was hosted there, and she became heavily involved in the event. She got to know LaFleur well and the two became friends.

Then, Beach was diagnosed with kidney disease, and suddenly the organization took on a whole new level of meaning for the couple. The support that Beach received from the Foundation renewed McGuire's interest and made her want to get personally involved.

"I think that continuing to support local organizations through the struggles we're all dealing with is extra important," McGuire commented. "It's harder for them to raise money now, so we're all coming up with these workarounds."

The Northeast Kidney Foundation is a local nonprofit, headquartered in Albany with other offices in Rochester and Syracuse. They were founded in 1972 by the Sperber family, as a grassroots movement to provide support and outreach for patients of kidney disease after their daughter needed a transplant.

"I can't say how much the support they've offered to Duane and I has meant," McGuire added. "The landscape has changed, and they're so willing to open the doors and say 'we've got you'. That's huge."

Each model has a fundraising goal they are working towards, with an overall goal for the Foundation of $50-60,000 this year. McGuire hopes to at least meet her fundraising goal of $1,500.

"More is better," she said. "Having never done this before, I set a fairly low goal. I'd love to raise more than that, especially knowing that this is going to be a long-term, ongoing relationship that I'm going to have with the Foundation."

During the virtual fashion show, the pictures from each of the models' photoshoots will be combined with candid videos where they introduce themselves and tell their stories. Every model participating has a close connection to the Foundation and its causes, either through themselves, a family member, or someone they know who has been affected by kidney disease.

"Everyone who tunes in will hear some very inspiring stories," LaFleur said.

Kidney disease is more common that people may think. 1 in every 7 people is at risk for kidney disease. Of those 7, 1 in 3 will develop in in their lifetimes. Diabetes and hypertension are the two most common causes.

"Being aware of your risk factors and managing them is the best way to prevent it," said LaFleur. "Once you have kidney disease, you have it - there's no pill you can take to cure it, it doesn't go away. But, there are many treatment options available, and with healthy lifestyle choices and working with your healthcare team, you can live a long and healthy life with kidney disease."

LaFleur says that early diagnosis is important, and recommends that when people go in for their annual checkup, they request copies of their labwork results. "Knowing your numbers" is the key to early diagnosis.

"You're looking for a number called the GFR," LaFleur explained. "A score of 60 or higher is good - 90 and higher is perfect. If your GFR is below 60, that's a sign that your kidneys are compromised. At that point you want to ask for a referral to a nephrologist."

LaFleur is optimistic about this year's fundraiser, despite it having to be so different than normal.

"We're very hopeful," she said. "We're fortunate that we've got a lot of support. We're so appreciative and thankful to all our sponsors, and all our models who are working so hard to raise money. This is our first ever virtual event, and because it's our tenth anniversary, I think that makes it extra special."

The Catwalk for Kidneys will air at 6pm on Nov. 8. Audience members will be able to vote for their favorite model and preview the items that will be up for auction after the Catwalk. The event will be livestreamed on FaceBook at:https://www.facebook.com/events/2721378161522872.

Donations to the Northeast Kidney Foundation can be made through their FaceBook page,https://www.facebook.com/northeast.kidney/, or through their main website, http://www.healthykidneys.org.

To purchase a fundraiser t-shirt from Haute Messes in Dresses, visit:https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=239640306098099&story_fbid=6898554506873279

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Northeast Kidney Foundation hosting virtual 'Catwalk for Kidneys' - The Saratogian