Amy Harju, left, organizer of U.P. Run For Life, and Kristy Walker, clinic manager at Fresenius Kidney Care, show off the many mugs the organization donated to Fresenius patients. The donations also were to serve as awareness for the patients and U.P. Run For Life. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

MARQUETTE — Amy Harju knows first-hand what it’s like to be a kidney recipient.

So, it shouldn’t be surprising that the U.P. Run For Life organizer showed up to Fresenius Kidney Care Thursday with gifts for the patients at the facility, located on Harbor Hills Drive, on behalf of her group.

Kristy Walker, clinic manager at Fresenius, was on hand to accept dozens of mugs filled with candies and $20 Econo Foods gift cards that were to be distributed to patients for Christmas.

“It kind of helps raise awareness for our patients and for U.P. Run For Life,” Walker said. “So, it’s a sort of like a ‘benefit everybody’ type of benefit.”

The group’s Facebook page said its purpose is to promote organ and tissue donation while raising money to assist transplant patients in the Upper Peninsula with expenses related to medical care, prescriptions and mileage.

Harju said that every year U.P. Run For Life holds a 10K, 5K and a kids run to raise awareness for organ donation, with proceeds helping potential kidney donors and transplant patients with out-of-pocket costs.

“There’s a lot of travel involved,” Harju said.

She said the group held its fifth annual Run For Life last summer, with a sixth event planned.

Harju is an 11-year kidney-transplant recipient, so she has personal knowledge of organ donation.

“I know the importance of the awareness,” said Harju, who pointed out people should understand how kidneys function and what it’s like to receive dialysis treatments.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, when a person’s kidneys fail, dialysis keeps the body in balance by removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body; keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in the blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate; and helping to control blood pressure.

U.P. Run For Life proceeds paid for the 60 mugs, which amounted to about $1,400, Harju said.

For more information on Fresenius, visit www.FreseniusKidneyCare.com/new. Available on the website is information on topics like kidney disease, treatments, diet, and traveling and living while undergoing dialysis treatments.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.