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Category Archives: Press Release

02 Nov

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Press Release

Navy Veteran to be Honored as a Tissue and Cornea Donor Hero in the Donate Life Rose Parade® Experience During the 2021 Tournament of Roses Entertainment Special

SACRAMENTO, Calif., October 22, 2020 – Francis “Frank” Cox, a devoted family man who dedicated his life to community service, was selected by Donate Life California as the 2021 Donate Life Rose Parade® Experience floragraph honoree. On October 29th, 2020, Frank’s family will put the finishing touches on a floral portrait of his likeness, known as a floragraph, during a special unveiling ceremony with Donate Life California at the Sacramento headquarters of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) at 10:00 am. While the 2021 Rose Parade® was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Frank will be featured during the Tournament of Roses’ Entertainment Special, airing nationally the morning of January 1st, 2021.

Frank, a Navy veteran, enjoyed camping, spending time in his motorhome, and tailgating at the ski resorts every weekend as his family enjoyed the snow. He was also happy to barbeque just about anything at his family’s frequent pool parties. His love of family was very apparent and his passion for over 20 years was volunteering at Shriner’s Hospitals for Children. Frank was the 29th person to join the El Kalah Shrine Clown Unit where he was lovingly known as “Potsy,” and performed for the children and their families. Frank became a tissue and cornea donor in the winter of 1988 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“My father was a devoted family man who instilled in us the value of community service and helping out those in need,” said Delia Bolinder, Frank’s daughter and a DMV employee. “When he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, he was worried that he would no longer be eligible to be a donor. Thankfully, he was still able to give the gift of sight and tissue to several recipients in need. I know my father would be so honored to be featured in the Donate Life Rose Parade Experience this year.”

The DMV and Donate Life California became state-authorized partners in 2006. Since then, more than 16.5 million Californians have signed up to save lives by registering as organ, eye and tissue donors – 95 percent of whom checked “YES!” at the DMV.

“Frank Cox’s decision to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor illustrates the importance of the partnership between DMV and Donate Life California,” said DMV Chief Deputy Director Kathleen Webb. “We are thankful that Donate Life California continues to honor DMV families during the annual Rose Parade celebrations.”

The Donate Life Rose Parade® Experience will be featured in the Tournament of Roses’ Entertainment Special. This nationally televised celebration is the Tournament’s new campaign that allows sponsors to create and display floral installations. The Donate Life Rose Parade® floral installation will feature over 20 sculptures made of roses and incorporating donor hero floragraphs. Additionally, it will be accompanied by various elements honoring Donation Healthcare Heroes amid a field of dedicated roses.

“While the Rose Parade® celebrations will look different this year, we are gratified and excited that Donate Life is the Tournament of Roses only live floral production which will include the floragraph that celebrates and honors Frank’s memory,” said Tom Mone, President of the Donate Life California Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of OneLegacy. “Frank’s legacy will live on forever because of his decision to be a donor, save and heal lives and inspire us all to register as a donor through the DMV.”

Each day, 22 people in the U.S. die waiting because the organ they needed did not become available in time. Organs needed for transplant are heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas or intestine. There are nearly 110,000 people waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

Tissue transplants, meanwhile, save and heal lives. Tissues for transplant include cornea, skin, heart valves, bone tissue, tendons, veins, ligaments and cartilage. More than a million tissue transplants occur each year, and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising. Corneal transplants restore sight to nearly 50,000 people each year.

Fast Facts:

  • In 2019, organ, eye and tissue donors in California saved more than 4,400 lives, and improved thousands more with eye and tissue donation.
  • 22 people across the country die each day awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
  • Over 21,500 people (about 19 percent of the national list) who wait for a life-saving organ transplant live in California.

About the 2021 Donate Life Rose Parade® Experience

While the traditional Rose Parade festivities have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Donate Life Rose Parade® Experience will be participating in the Tournament of Roses’ floral celebration this year. Frank, along with other donors, will be featured in the 2021 Donate Life Rose Parade® Experience’s floral installation, which incorporates floragraphs to honor organ, eye and tissue donors, along with other elements honoring Donation Healthcare Heroes. This installation will be featured in the Tournament of Roses’ Entertainment Special, airing on television nationally on January 1st, 2021 at 8:00am PST.

 

About Donate Life California:

The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ, eye and tissue donor registry. As a public service, the registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. The registry is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West, Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services. For more information about Donate Life California; how organ, eye and tissue donation saves and improves lives; and to sign up, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

More Fast Facts from Donate Life California:

  • All major religions support or permit organ, eye and tissue donation.
  • You are never too old or sick to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
  • Do not rule yourself out! People with all medical conditions are potential donors.

Please visit Donate Life California’s Stories of Hope web page to read inspiring stories about organ and tissue donors and recipients from around the state.

25 Apr

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Events Press Release

Watch LIVE at 10am PST the 18th Annual Donate Life Run/Walk

Facebook Live Broadcast this Saturday, April 25, to Feature ABC7 Anchor Phillip Palmer, Grammy Award-Winning Music Group All-4-One, NASCAR Racer and Donor Son Joey Gase, and Many More

LOS ANGELES-Continuing its mission to inspire local communities to donate life through meaningful events, and in response to the current COVID-19 state and federal recommendations to shelter in place, OneLegacy’s Donate Life Run/Walk is going virtual in 2020. The first Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk will include a special broadcast on YouTube and Facebook Live this Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. PDT.

The Donate Life Run/Walk goes virtual this Saturday, April 25, to celebrate 18 years of inspiring local communities to donate life. To participate, register at http://donateliferunwalk.org/.

As the largest event of its kind in the nation, the Donate Life Run/Walk gathers over 12,000 participants at Cal State Fullerton every year to celebrate the power of donation and transplantation. The first virtual run/walk is inviting organ, eye and tissue donation advocates, as well as health and wellness enthusiasts, to join the live broadcast from home and participate in their own way.

“Whether they eat their breakfast from their couch, run or walk around the block, or pace from the hallway to their kitchen, we want participants to join us on YouTube or Facebook Live for a unique experience tailored to these unique times,” said Kathleen Hostert, executive director of the run/walk and public education manager for OneLegacy, the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. “For the last 17 years, we have gathered thousands of participants and volunteers at Cal State Fullerton to share the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. My husband, Craig, and I look forward to our 2020 virtual run/walk, expanding our reach beyond Southern California to several states in the U.S. and countries around the world. This will be a wonderful event to honor the power of organ, eye and tissue donation.”

A moving opening ceremony will start the broadcast, co-hosted by ABC7’s news anchor Phillip Palmer as well as longtime Donate Life Run/Walk host Jim Rhoads. Special appearances include Grammy award-winning music group All-4-One; NASCAR racer and donor son Joey Gase; and dozens of organ, eye and tissue donation advocates who will open their homes to share their experience and inspire those watching the virtual event.

A VIRTUAL EVENT FOR DONOR FAMILIES, RECIPIENTS AND DONATION ADVOCATES

For the 18th consecutive year, hundreds of donor family members will participate to honor the memory of their loved ones. More than 200 donor family teams will join 22 hospital teams and nearly 2,500 participants that include dozens of hospitals; organ, eye and tissue recipients; health and fitness enthusiasts; and corporate and community groups to celebrate the gift of life.

Since 2007, team Schreiber has gathered every last Saturday in April to honor the life and legacy of David Schreiber. David was 43 when, in 2005, he suddenly passed away from a massive stroke. He was a Long Beach native who believed in family and community. He left behind a wife, an 18-year-old daughter, a 3-day-old son, a brother, sister, niece and nephew. It was his wish in life to donate upon his death, and OneLegacy helped fulfill that wish for David when the time came. David donated his liver, tissue and corneas.

Sharon remembers her first Donate Life Run/Walk, “My son, Aaron, was a toddler when we participated in our first run/walk; and our daughter had just graduated high school. Alexandria as an adult never misses the chance to attend the run/walk to honor her father, and Aaron is now 14 and has not missed one yet! The Donate Life Run/Walk is a special event for us to remember David’s life and for Alex and Aaron to learn more about their dad’s story and the many lives David healed and saved through organ, eye and tissue donation.”

The Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk is produced by OneLegacy, the largest organ procurement organization in the U.S. dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven Southern California counties.

“Donate Life Month is celebrated every year in April, and we are excited to expand our reach on our first Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk,” said Tom Mone, CEO of OneLegacy. “We look forward to inspiring those who join us on social media, whether they belong to the communities we serve or are joining us from cities across the U.S. and beyond, to register as donors and help save the lives of nearly 113,000 people across the country who are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant.”

All proceeds from the Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk benefit the OneLegacy Foundation, with a goal to enhance OneLegacy’s public education efforts to inspire others to donate life and conduct research studies to improve the lives of recipients and optimize the organ, eye and tissue recovery process.

The 2020 sponsors for OneLegacy’s first Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk include ABC7, Albertsons, Vons, Pavillions, W.L. Butler, The Whole Enchilada, CareDx, Cedars-Sinai, Century 21, UC Irvine Health, Skechers, R. J. Noble, Tangent Systems, Greystone, CRCA (Consumer Reporting Compliance Associates) and Wescom.

For additional information and to register online to participate in this year’s Donate Life Virtual Run/Walk, visit DonateLifeRunWalk.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

To register to become an organ, eye and tissue donor, visit https://donatelifecalifornia.org/OneLegacy or http://doneVIDAcalifornia.org/OneLegacy.

About OneLegacy

OneLegacy is the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. With more than 200 hospitals, 10 transplant centers and a diverse population of 22 million, OneLegacy is the largest organ, eye and tissue recovery organization in the world.

For more information about OneLegacy, visit OneLegacy.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

07 Oct

By

in
Press Release

Fresno Woman to be Honored as a Living Donor Hero on the Donate Life Rose Parade® Float

FRESNO, Calif., October 8, 2019 – Fresno resident Regina Tanner has been selected by Donate Life California as the 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float living donor honoree. Regina will walk alongside the float, Light in the Darkness, during the 131st Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day.

Regina, a retired nurse and attorney, became a living organ donor in the fall of 2016 when her husband, Cary, was in dire need of a new kidney. While Regina volunteered to be his donor without hesitation and was a match, the doctors informed her that she and Cary could take part in a 9-person paired kidney donation chain that would save 18 lives. Nine people received kidneys, freeing up others to move up on the transplant waiting list. She donated her kidney to a stranger and Cary received a kidney from the relative of another kidney recipient in the donation chain.

Both Regina and Cary recovered quickly and continue to enjoy their lives together. Today, Regina is an advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation and volunteers her time in the community as a Donate Life Ambassador with Donor Network West. The nonprofit organ and tissue recovery organization serves 45 counties in Northern California and Nevada.

Regina Tanner, Donate Life California’s 2020 Rose Parade® Float Honoree

Regina Tanner, Donate Life California’s 2020 Rose Parade® Float Honoree.

“While donating a kidney is major surgery, the surgical experience and recovery were much easier than I anticipated,” said Regina. “I had the chance to help save my husband’s life and someone else’s, and if it was possible, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I hope that our story will bring attention to unrelated paired kidney donations and the ease of accessibility in becoming a living donor so that others may be encouraged to donate.”

Kidneys are the most needed organ for transplantation in the United States. Of the 113,000 persons waiting for a life-saving transplant, 84% are waiting for a new kidney. While most transplanted kidneys are recovered from deceased donors, living donors like Regina help improve outcomes and save lives.

“Donate Life California is proud to have Regina Tanner as our honoree for the Donate Life Rose Parade® float,” said Jim Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Donate Life California. “Regina and Cary’s story of selflessness emphasizes how important it is that we have living kidney donors to help save lives. With tens of thousands of persons waiting for a new kidney, we hope that shining a light on Regina’s experience will encourage others to become donors.”

The average wait time for a new kidney is about seven to ten years in California, but many like Cary rely on a living donor to gift them a kidney. In 2010, Living Donation California was created to help increase living donation and serve as a resource for those looking to become living donors.

“We all have the power to say ‘yes’ to donation to give hope to the thousands who wait for a life-saving organ transplant. Regina used hers to be a living kidney donor. Her compassion and generosity of spirit fully embody the Rose Parade’s theme, The Power of Hope,” said Janice F. Whaley, Chief Executive Officer of Donor Network West.

Each day, 22 people in the U.S. die waiting because the organ they needed did not become available in time. Organs needed for transplant are heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas or intestine.Tissue transplants, meanwhile, save and heal lives. Tissues for transplant include cornea, skin, heart valves, bone tissue, tendons, veins, ligaments, and cartilage. More than a million tissue transplants occur each year, and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising. Corneal transplants restore sight to nearly 50,000 people each year.

Fast Facts:
– In 2018, organ, eye and tissue donors in California saved more than 4,100 lives and improved thousands more with eye and tissue donation.
– 22 people across the country die each day awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
– Nearly 22,000 people (about 19 percent of the national list) who wait for a life-saving organ transplant live in California.

About the 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float

Concept art of the 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float

Concept art of the 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float.

The 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade® float, Light in the Darkness, shares the Power of Hope by highlighting Southeast Asia’s Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, a celebration of light shining in the darkness. Organ, eye, and tissue donation is often the first spark of light families see when in their darkest moments, the opportunity to honor their loved ones’ legacy provides hope and light to both grieving donor families and grateful recipients.

About Donate Life California:

The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ, eye, and tissue donor registry. As a public service, the registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. The registry is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West, Lifesharing, OneLegacy, and Sierra Donor Services. For more information about Donate Life California; how organ, eye and tissue donation saves and improves lives; and to sign up, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

More Fast Facts from Donate Life California:

– All major religions support or permit organ, eye and tissue donation.
– You’re never too old to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
– Do not rule yourself out! People with all medical conditions are potential donors.
Please visit Donate Life California’s Stories of Hope web page to read inspiring stories about organ and tissue donors and recipients from around the state.

About Living Donation California:

Living Donation California is a free information and referral service that encourages California residents to be altruistic kidney donors, provides accurate information about living donation and refers potentially eligible individuals for evaluation at a transplant center.

Living Donation California is administered by Donate Life California, which manages the state-authorized organ and tissue deceased donor registry. Also, Living Donation California is supported by a Board of Advisors which includes participating California kidney transplant programs. Learn more at www.livingdonationcalifornia.org.