Kidneys for Kids launches “Drive to 7000” campaign to achieve record 7,000 living kidney donations in 2026. 31-city tour starts June 1st in Ann Arbor, MI.
BAY CITY, MI, UNITED STATES, January 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Michigan Nonprofit Aims to Help Record 7,000 Living Kidney Donations in 2026; 8-Week, 31-City Tour Kicks Off June 1st
Kidneys for Kids formally announced today the launch of the 2026 “Drive to 7000,” the most ambitious living kidney donation campaign in American history. The initiative aims to achieve 7,000 living kidney donations nationwide in a single year, a milestone that has never been reached and would represent the highest annual total ever recorded.
The campaign centers on an eight-week, 12,000-mile journey across America, visiting 31 cities to recruit living kidney donors and partner with transplant centers nationwide. The tour launches June 1st in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“There has never been a year where we’ve achieved 7,000 living kidney donations in America,” said Brian Martindale, founder and executive director of Kidneys for Kids and a living kidney donor himself. “We average between 6,000 and 6,500 annually. In 2025, we only recorded 5,879 living donations. In 2026, we’re going to change that. This isn’t just about breaking a record—it’s about saving 7,000 lives.”
A Personal Mission Born from an Extraordinary Act
Martindale’s journey began in fall 2012 when he learned about Jessica Schwerin, a 10-year-old Bay City girl suffering from Stage IV kidney failure. Her mother, desperate to save her daughter’s life, stood on a busy street corner holding a hand-printed sign pleading for someone to donate a kidney.
Moved by this act of love, Martindale contacted the University of Michigan Kidney Transplant Center to be tested. Remarkably, he was a one-in-100,000 match for Jessica. Even more remarkably, Jessica lived just four blocks from his home.
In 2013, the transplantation was successful. After two days of recovery, Martindale was wheeled over to visit Jessica for the first time, a profound moment that changed both their lives forever.
Today, Jessica is 23 years old, attending Eastern Michigan University working towards a doctorate degree, and serving on the Kidneys for Kids Board of Directors. Together, they have become powerful ambassadors for kidney donation.
Five Years of Driving for Life, 16 Lives Saved
The 2026 tour marks the fifth year of Martindale’s “Driving for Life” campaign. Since the first journey in 2022, this mission has motivated 16 adults to become living kidney donors to children, traveling over 25,000 cumulative miles.
“Every city we visit, we meet families in crisis and individuals who had no idea they could be someone’s hero,” Martindale said. “We show people that someone like them, an ordinary person, can donate their spare kidney and save a child’s life.”
Kidneys for Kids, founded in May 2022, has earned Candid’s Platinum Seal of Transparency and provides financial assistance for families facing costs not covered by insurance.
The Urgent Need
Approximately 93,000 adults and almost 2,000 children are currently waiting for kidney transplants in America. Every day, 13 people die waiting. The average wait time for a deceased donor kidney is five years.
Living kidney donation changes this equation. A living donor kidney functions for 15-20 years compared to 8-12 years for deceased donor kidneys. The wait time drops to just 3-6 months.
“People don’t realize that donating a kidney doesn’t affect your life expectancy,” Martindale explained. “The surgery is safer than ever. Most donors return home in 1-3 days and achieve full recovery in 4-6 weeks. Insurance covers 100% of donor operation costs. You have two kidneys, you only need one, and you have the power to save a life.”
To kick off momentum, Kidneys for Kids will host two major events in March during National Kidney Month:
Kidneys for Kids Night with the Detroit Pistons – March 25, 2026
Charity Dinner and Auction – Friday, March 27, 2026
About Kidneys for Kids
Kidneys for Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Bay City, Michigan, dedicated to saving children’s lives through kidney donation awareness and support. The organization provides financial assistance up to $1,000 per family for costs related to pediatric kidney treatment and works to recruit living kidney donors for children and adults in Michigan.
Media Availability
Brian Martindale and Jessica Schwerin are available for Interviews at your request.
Brian Martindale
Kidneys for Kids
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