News & Events
George Lopez Gets Serious!
Comedian George Lopez is getting serious about a mission that's close to his heart, or rather, his kidney. The co-creator and star of the hit ABC sitcom "George Lopez" and his wife, Ann, have been named national spokespeople for the National Kidney Foundation.
Ann donated a kidney to her husband last April. Lopez suffered from a genetic condition that caused his kidneys to deteriorate and he needed a transplant to survive. Now he plans to spread the word about the need for early detection of kidney disease as well as the critical shortage of donated organs for transplantation. "If laughter is the best medicine, I promise to continue to make you laugh as my wife and I work together with the NKF to save lives," says Lopez.
Ann and George Lopez will serve as Honorary Chairmen of the Foundation's Kidney Walk Program, a series of 100 walks held each year in cities across the U.S. He's planning to join Team Southern California at the NKF's 2006 U.S. Transplant Games, an Olympic-style venue for recipients of every type of life-saving organ transplant. It will be held in Louisville, Kentucky next June. Lopez will be going for the gold in his favorite sport - golf. More than 2,000 athletes who have received transplants of kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas and bone marrow will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in a dozen events. They include track and field, swimming, cycling, racquetball and basketball.
Lopez was recently cited by Time Magazine as "one of the 25 most influential Hispanics in America." With a population of some 41.3 million, Hispanics now comprise the nation's largest ethnic community. Adds George, "Latinos are a group that is at high risk of kidney disease. My wife and I look forward to helping the NKF raise public awareness about the importance of screening and early detection in the fight against kidney disease."
