Kidney Foundation to sell carnations as fundraiser

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Special to The Vindicator

FLOWER POWER: By selling carnations on St. Patrick’s Day, the Eastern Regional Kidney Foundation hopes to raise funds that will enable the foundation to help renal patients who are overwhelmed by the costs of medications and transportation. Prepared to take part in the fundraiser are, from left, Mariann Haschenburger, Megan Begala, Erin Dean and Chuck Stevens, foundation volunteers.

BOARDMAN — The Eastern Regional Kidney Foundation, 4822 Market St., will once again have a St. Patrick’s Day sale of carnations as a fundraiser to help renal patients meet the overwhelming costs of medications and transportation to and from dialysis centers.

Many of the patients are at or below poverty level, often with little or no insurance coverage, and faced with the difficult choice of paying for medications or utility bills. Some opt to skip dialysis, further jeopardizing their health.

The foundation is a volunteer board that works to raise needed funds, to educate the community, and to promote research to find solutions to kidney disease. It receives no government funding.

Each prepaid order of $15 for 12 or more carnations will be delivered free of charge by a volunteer on March 13. To place an order, call (330) 788-0845 by Monday. For orders of six or more dozen, the price will be $12 per dozen.

Anyone interested in assisting with the sale of carnations by delivering, or selling the flowers along the parade route at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 14, is asked to contact the foundation office at the above number.