Donate Life Rose Parade Wrap-Up

January 5, 2012

Last week was an amazing time for organ and tissue donation advocates across the country and throughout the world.  Donate Life organizations partnered to build and enter the “One More Day” Donate Life Float in the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade.  The float generated hundreds of donation related stories in the media and showed the estimated 70 million people watching the Rose Parade that organ and tissue donation saves lives.

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This year’s Rose Parade was an especially significant event for organ and tissue donation advocates here in Illinois.  The Donate Life Float featured two riders who call the great state of Illinois home. Alex Rodriguez, of Cicero, was sponsored by Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network riding in honor of his brother Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez.  The second rider, Linda Henning, resides in Crossville and was sponsored by Donor Alliance of Denver, Colorado.  Linda rode in honor of her son, Marc, a former cadet in the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Alex Rodriguez and Linda Henning in front of the Donate Life Float

Both Alex and Linda spent their time in Pasadena building awareness for organ and tissue donation and networking with donor families and recipients from across the United States.  It was truly an amazing time to honor loved ones, make life-long connections, and celebrate the “Gift of Life” that is organ and tissue donation.

Alex Rodriguez sitting next to Paco's heart recipient, Alexis Sloan, on the Donate Life Float

If you would like to learn more about the Donate Life Float and the Rose Parade, check out the links to news stories and resources at the bottom of this post.  To see more pictures of our Illinois float riders, visit the Donate Life Illinois Facebook Page or go to the Donate Life Float Media Center.

National Media Surrounding the Donate Life Float

ESPN.com – The parade of life

CNN.com – Two families bond after child’s death saves another

Regional Coverage of Illinois riders and honorees

Fox Chicago News –Friends and Family Honor Boxer Paco Rodriguez

ABC Chicago – Late Chicago boxer to be honored at Rose Parade

Univision Chicago – Niño Azteka será honrado en Los Ángeles

Telemundo Chicago – Murió en el cuadrilátero, pero sigue viviendo

The Denver Post – Organ donors’ families celebrate gift of life at Calif. Event

Carmi Times – Phillipstown represented in Rose Parade

More Resources

Visit the Donate Life Facebook Page for photos of the Illinois riders and honorees.

Go to DonateLifeFloat.org for more information on the Donate Life Float.

Register your decision to save lives through organ and tissue donation at DonateLifeIllinois.org!

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2012 Donate Life Rose Parade Float

December 23, 2011

It’s that time of year when Donate Life America partners with the Rose Parade to build organ and tissue donation awareness across the United States. Each year since 2004, Donate Life has entered a float in the Rose Parade which takes place annually on (or near) New Year’s Day in Pasadena. The partnership with the Rose Parade has inspired countless Americans to register their decisions to save lives through organ and tissue donation.

Rendering of 2012 Donate Life Float

This year, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is honoring Francisco “Paco” Rodriguez by sending his family to Pasadena to participate in Donate Life Float activities from December 28th until January 2nd. Paco’s family will help decorate the Donate Life Float, network with donor families and recipients, and spread organ and tissue donation awareness. Alex Rodriguez, Paco’s brother, will even ride on the Donate Life Float during the Rose Parade!

Sonia, wife, and Ginette, daughter, put the finishing touches on Paco's floragraph.

From December 28th until January 2nd, the Donate Life Illinois team will be in Pasadena with the Rodriguez family sharing photos and updates on Facebook and Twitter. Use the hashtag #DonateLifeFloat on Twitter to see updates from Donate Life Illinois and, possibly, other Donate Life organizations.

Happy Holidays!

- Josh

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Faith Leaders Unite for National Donor Sabbath

November 9, 2011

Donate Life Illinois urges faith leaders throughout Illinois to raise their collective voices, praise the benefits of organ and tissue donation and urge their members to give the gift of life by being organ and tissue donors during National Donor Sabbath, which will  be observed November 11-13.

Donation and transplantation professionals designate this special weekend each year—two weekends before the Thanksgiving season—to bring donation to the attention of faith leaders and their communities. During this time, Donate Life Illinois coalition members seek to educate faith communities about the ongoing need for organ, tissue and eye donors and to encourage people to register as donors.

Religious views on donation vary among denominations, but the vast majority—including all major religions such as Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism—view organ and tissue donation as one of the highest forms of giving and a supreme gesture of human compassion. That’s because faith and hope—fundamental principles of nearly all religions—also are integral components of the donation and transplant process. From those who wait for organ and tissue transplants, to donors who one day hope to make a lifesaving difference, to donor families who can ease the pain of losing a loved one by knowing he or she gave life to others—all have faith in a greater good beyond themselves.

Donate Life Illinois encourages all Illinoisans to be a part of this special time of hope and thanksgiving by planning and participating in National Donor Sabbath activities and registering to be organ, tissue and eye donors in the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry.  This selfless act can give hope to nearly 5,000 Illinoisans on the organ transplant waiting list and thousands of others waiting for tissue and cornea transplants.

For more information on organ and tissue donation or to join the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry, visit DonateLifeIllinois.org. For information on how to plan a National Donor Sabbath program for your faith community members, e-mail Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network at info@giftofhope.org or call 888/307-DON8 (3668).

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100 Million People in U.S. Registered as Organ and Tissue Donors

October 14, 2011

Donate Life Illinois and the nationwide Donate Life America donation and transplant community it belongs to reached a major milestone this month—100 million people in the United States, including 6 million in Illinois, have registered as organ, eye and tissue donors through state donor registries like the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry.

“Reaching this milestone is a testament to our human nature and our willingness to work together for the greater good,” said Jerry Anderson, President/CEO of Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, a Donate Life Illinois coalition member that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Illinois and northwest Indiana. “But, as we celebrate this achievement, the need for transplants continues to rise. More than 112,000 men, women and children nationwide—including nearly 5,000 in Illinois—await lifesaving organ transplants today. Thousands more await tissue transplants to help them return to productive living. We need more donors to continue saving and enhancing more lives. Illinoisans are encouraged to register as donors by visiting DonateLifeIllinois.org.”

To date, the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry has registered nearly 6 million organ, eye and tissue donors—about 57 percent of all people eligible to register in the state. “With nearly 5,000 people in the state awaiting organ transplants—and thousands more in need of cornea and tissue transplants—it is critical to continue increasing the number of registered donors,” Anderson said. “Each person who registers as a donor offers the gift of hope to thousands of men, women and children in need of transplants to return them to leading productive and fulfilling lives with their loved ones.”

As the nation celebrates this great national achievement—100 million registered donors—Donate Life America and its network of state teams and partner organizations continue their work to save and enhance lives, Anderson added. “We are not content with the achievements we have realized to date,” he said. “Our goal is to add 20 million more registered donors by the end for 2012 to save and enhance even more lives. Illinoisans are encouraged to help the donation and transplantation community achieve that 2012 goal by registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeIllinois.org.”

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