OneLegacy is kicking off Donate Life Month in April with multiple events and observances that will take place across seven counties in Southern California. OneLegacy is joining hundreds of organizations, hospitals, cities and transplant centers across the country to share the importance of donation in the U.S. and encourage people to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. The Donate Life month observances include over 300 activities that started last month and will extend through the end of April.
OneLegacy expects to reach over 20 million people in Southern California through local activities that range from DMV decorations, city proclamations and flag-raising ceremonies to educational events and the largest run/walk of its kind in the U.S. This year’s observances will mobilize more than 40 hospitals and transplant centers; over 147 cities; seven counties; hundreds of volunteers; and thousands of organ, eye and tissue donation advocates.
“Every year we are fortunate to partner with local hospitals, transplant centers, community partners, and city officials to mobilize, inform and inspire our local communities to register as donors and help save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation,” said Tom Mone, CEO of OneLegacy. “With more than 36,500 organ transplants performed last year and six consecutive record-setting years for transplants in the U.S., we want to honor those who have chosen to save and heal lives by registering; and we are grateful to so many of them who join us in activities to promote and celebrate Donate Life Month.”
CITY OFFICIALS’ PROCLAMATIONS
Thanks to the help of over 260 OneLegacy Ambassadors and Embajadores, over 147 city and seven county proclamations will be issued to declare April as Donate Life Month. In addition, this year OneLegacy secured the proclamations of Los Angeles County’s 24th District Senator Maria Elena Durazo as well as Orange County’s 46th District Congressman Lou Correa. The OneLegacy Ambassadors are a group of volunteers who engage with our local communities to share their stories of donation and inspire others to donate. Every year, OneLegacy ambassadors work closely with local city officials in Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to renew their support for organ, eye and tissue donation through their proclamations.
FLAGS ACROSS AMERICA: LOCAL FLAG RAISING CEREMONIES
With a goal to unite the nation and provide a symbol of hope during Donate Life Month, the “Flags Across America” initiative started in 2009 to honor those who have given the ultimate gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation. OneLegacy is joining over 50 organizations across the nation to rally every donor hospital and transplant center, as well as all recovery agencies, to raise the Donate Life flag during the month of April. This year’s efforts will result in over 50 flags being raised across Southern California.
BLUE & GREEN DAY
Blue and green are the official Donate Life colors; and every year, Blue & Green Day is celebrated during National Donate Life Month in April to raise awareness of donation. This year’s Blue & Green Day celebration is on Friday, April 12; and local DMV offices, hospitals, transplant centers and other organizations will join OneLegacy to celebrate National Donate Life Blue & Green Day. April is a special month to visit local DMV offices, vibrantly decorated by the DMV staff as part of a month-long photo contest to show their support for donation. OneLegacy’s partnership with the DMV includes special events, ongoing educational sessions to staff, and recognition to their staff and leadership. Their continuous support has resulted in 95 percent of the state’s nearly 15.5 million designated donors who have joined the California registry. Additionally, several local organizations, businesses and hospital partners will encourage their staff to wear blue and green on April 12.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Every year OneLegacy partners with local hospitals, transplant centers, businesses and community advocacy organizations around the seven counties to host special educational and awareness events that engage our local community to learn more about the importance of donation. For the second consecutive year, and in partnership with Donor Network West in Northern California, Lee’s Sandwiches is hosting a special month-long “Cup of Life” campaign to encourage coffee enthusiasts to learn more about donation and registering as donors. Additional community partners hosting educational events in April include local hospitals and transplant centers, restaurants, businesses, high schools and colleges across Southern California.
DONATE LIFE RUN/WALK AT CAL STATE FULLERTON
Celebrating its 17th year, the Donate Life Run/Walk and Family Festival will close OneLegacy’s Donate Life Month celebrations at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, April 27. As the largest event of its kind in the U.S., the Donate Life Run/Walk gathers over 12,000 organ, eye and tissue donation advocates and their families, who participate every year in the 1K/5K run/walk. This year’s event will gather more than 233 donor-family teams with over 4,000 donor-family participants, over 30 hospital teams, and dozens of other groups and organizations to help raise funds for the OneLegacy Foundation’s public education initiatives.
OneLegacy is the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in the areas we serve. With more than 200 hospitals, 11 transplant centers and a diverse population of over 22 million, OneLegacy is the largest organ, eye and tissue recovery organization in the world.
For more information, visit OneLegacy.org, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
