East Tennessee Kidney Foundation

08/07/2026

🎉 Just ONE WEEK to go! 🎉

Join us on Friday, August 14 at 7:00 PM at Covenant Health Park as the Knoxville Smokies take the field—and help support the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation!

We are incredibly honored to be selected as the beneficiary for the Smokies' Feel-Good Fridays, powered by Gary Yeomans Ford. 💚

Come cheer on the Smokies, enjoy a great evening at the ballpark, and help make a difference for kidney patients and their families across East Tennessee.

📍 Covenant Health Park, Knoxville, TN
📅 Friday, August 14, 2026
🕖 First pitch: 7:00 PM

We can't wait to see you there! ⚾💚

08/06/2026

Dialysis isn't a choice—it's a lifeline.

For individuals living with End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), missing even one dialysis treatment can have devastating consequences. Most patients receiving in-center hemodialysis require treatment three times every week—that's approximately 156 life-sustaining treatments each year.

When barriers like transportation, nutrition, or financial hardship stand in the way, the risks increase dramatically, including hospitalization, serious medical complications, and even death.

At the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation, we're committed to removing those barriers. Through programs that provide transportation assistance, nutritional support, dental assistance, and patient advocacy, we help ensure our neighbors can access the care they need to survive—and thrive.

Every donation, volunteer, and community partner helps make that possible.

💚 Together, we're removing barriers to life-sustaining dialysis care.

08/06/2026

08/04/2026

🚗💙 Mark Your Calendars – August 15!

The VW Drag Fest & Show is rolling into Knoxville Dragway in Maynardville on Saturday, August 15, 2026!

This Volkswagen-only event will feature:
🏁 VW Drag Racing
🚘 Volkswagen Car Show
🛍️ Vendors & Swap Meet
🏕️ On-site Camping
🤝 An incredible community coming together for a great cause.

The East Tennessee Kidney Foundation is honored to be part of this amazing event and grateful for the support of Travis Godfrey and the entire VW Drag Fest team, who are helping raise awareness and support for East Tennesseans living with kidney disease.

If you're a VW enthusiast—or just want to experience an incredible day of family-friendly fun—we'd love to see you there!

📍 Knoxville Dragway – Maynardville, TN
📅 Saturday, August 15, 2026

08/03/2026

🏌️‍♂️ Find Your Perfect Swing for a Perfect Cause! 💙❤️

Join us for Golfing for Kidneys at Topgolf Knoxville and enjoy an afternoon of fun while making a difference for kidney patients across East Tennessee.

✅ 3 hours of Topgolf play
🍔 Food & drinks included
🏆 Team competition, prizes & bragging rights
🤝 Great networking and community connections

Every swing helps support the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation's three life-changing programs, providing transportation assistance, nutritional support, and dental care for local kidney patients.

⛳ Register your team today and help us make an impact—one swing at a time!

🔗 https://www.etkidney.org/events/golfing-for-kidneys/

07/31/2026

🚗🚚🚤🚐 17 Donations. $21,445 Raised. Countless Lives Changed.

What happens when a community comes together? Incredible things.

Over the past year, generous supporters donated a total of 17 vehicles—including cars, trucks, boats, and RVs—through our Volunteer Your Ride program, raising $21,445 to support East Tennesseans living with kidney disease.

Every donation helps the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation provide life-sustaining programs that remove barriers to dialysis, improve access to care, and give hope to patients and families throughout our region.

A special thank you to Powell Auction & Realty for their outstanding partnership in making this program possible.

To every person who donated a vehicle: Thank you. Your generosity is creating a lasting impact right here in East Tennessee.

Have a vehicle you no longer need? Whether it's a car, truck, boat, RV, motorcycle, camper, or tractor, you can turn it into hope for local dialysis patients.

Learn more: https://www.etkidney.org/volunteer-your-ride/

07/31/2026

Some of the most meaningful moments happen quietly.

Today, we had the privilege of spending time at our friends' DCI Inc. dialysis clinic. These aren't just meetings—they're moments of connection, encouragement, hope, and honest conversations about the realities of living with kidney disease.

One of the most special moments today was seeing Neil Crye, who received a life-changing kidney transplant just a few months ago, sit down with Dan Davis, who is once again searching for a kidney donor. Their shared experiences created an understanding that words alone can't always provide.

The burden of dialysis is already incredibly difficult. Add the uncertainty of waiting for a transplant, changing treatments, and the emotional weight that comes with the journey, and no one should have to face it alone.

At the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation, this is why we exist.

We're here to connect. We're here to listen. We're here to encourage. And we're here to walk alongside every patient and family—not just during the hardest days, but throughout the entire journey.

Because sometimes, the greatest gift we can offer is simply reminding someone that they're not walking this road alone. 💙❤️

07/28/2026

❤️ One Vote. One Community. One Mission.

The East Tennessee Kidney Foundation has been nominated for Cityview Magazine's Best of the Best – Best Nonprofit, and we'd be grateful for your support.

Your vote recognizes the patients we serve, the families we walk beside, and the community that makes our work possible.

🗳️ Cast your vote today:
https://bestof.cityviewmag.com/

Together, we're changing lives across East Tennessee.

07/27/2026

The countdown is on! ⚾💙

Mark your calendars for Friday, August 14!

Join the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation at Covenant Health Park as we partner with the Knoxville Smokies for Feel-Good Fridays, powered by Gary Yeomans Ford.

We're especially proud that our Board Chairman, Michael Saporito II, has been selected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch! 🎉

📍 August 14, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM
🏟️ Covenant Health Park | Knoxville, TN

Be sure to stop by the ETKF booth! We'll have fun giveaways, great prizes, and opportunities to support local kidney patients with a small donation.

Come enjoy a great night of baseball while making a difference for East Tennesseans living with kidney disease. We can't wait to see you at the ballpark!

07/24/2026

Some stories deserve more than a headline—they deserve to be heard.

Yesterday, the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation was honored to join Living East Tennessee on WATE-6 to share the deeply personal story behind the partnership between VW Drag Fest & Show and ETKF.

Travis Godfrey's journey with Alport syndrome is one that spans generations. After losing multiple family members to kidney disease and watching the diagnosis impact his own daughters, Travis made a remarkable decision: to transform his family's pain into purpose.

In this interview, Travis shares why VW Drag Fest & Show has become more than a celebration of Volkswagens. It has become a mission to raise awareness, honor loved ones, and help East Tennesseans living with kidney disease receive the support they need.

We are grateful to the entire Living East Tennessee team for providing a platform to tell this importa