Vote For Renton Teen's Drawing To Appear On Kidney Fund Calendar

RENTON, WA - A Renton teen with kidney disease has the chance to become a nationally recognized artist. Darrianne Richardson, 16, is a finalist in the American Kidney Fund annual calendar. If Richardson's drawing gets enough votes, it will appear on the cover of the calendar.

Here's more from the American Kidney Fund:

Darrianne Richardson, 16, is one of 13 finalists in AKF’s 23rd annual Calendar Kids Art Contest whose art will appear in the 2019 calendar, but the cover art will be selected through Earlier this year, children and teens with kidney disease from across the United States submitted their artwork for this popular annual contest. Darrianne’s artwork, along with 12 others, was selected to appear in the 2019 AKF calendar. Now, it’s up to the general public to decide which artwork will appear on the calendar’s cover. If Darrianne gets the most votes, she will also receive a free trip to Washington, D.C., to be recognized during the American Kidney Fund’s annual gala, The Hope Affair, on October 3.

Darrianne‘s drawing, titled “Celebrate Life,” is a painting of a garden full of fresh vegetables that represents being happy, healthy and celebrating life—all of which Darrianne believes are necessary to live a long time.

“Each year we are inspired by the entries we receive in our Calendar Kids Art Contest and each child’s story,” said LaVarne A. Burton, president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund. “Through art, Darrianne and her fellow artists can teach us all something about keeping a positive outlook, even in the face of living with kidney disease.”

Since 1995, the AKF Calendar Kids Art Contest has provided an opportunity for pediatric kidney patients to express themselves through artwork and to receive national recognition. Distributed nationwide, AKF’s calendar helps raise awareness of kidney disease and the importance of prevention and early detection It is estimated that each year, 1 in 65,000 children in the United States have kidney failure, which can only be treated by dialysis or transplantation.

The 2019 calendars will be available for purchase through AKF’s website beginning in October. For more information about the Calendar Kids Art Contest and other AKF programs for children, visit KidneyFund.org.

Image courtesy American Kidney Fund