Colorado & Wyoming Residents 'Show Their Hearts' At Local National Donate Life Month Celebrations In April

DENVER, March 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This April, in celebration of National Donate Life Month, Donor Alliance, the federally designated nonprofit that facilities organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, invites Colorado and Wyoming residents to 'show their hearts' at a series of celebrations throughout the month of April. Activities will include meet-and-greet events with NASCAR driver Joey Gase, whose mother was an organ, eye and tissue donor, and a week of discounts from local businesses for residents who show the hearts on their licenses or wear blue and green in celebration of National Donate Life Month.

Joey Gase—a professional race car driver for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series—lost his mother, Mary, to a sudden brain aneurysm when he was just 18 years old. Because of Joey's courageous decision to donate her organs, Mary was able to save and heal the lives of 66 people through organ, eye and tissue donation. This experience inspired Joey and he has since become a passionate advocate for donation. Joey will be at the Cheyenne, WY Old Chicago (1734 Meadowland Dr.) on April 3 from 5-7 p.m. and at the Denver Auto Show on April 5. At both locations, visitors can show the hearts on their driver license for the chance to meet Joey and paint a heart on his official race car.

"National Donate Life Month is an opportunity for us to celebrate the lives of transplant recipients and the heroes who said yes to becoming organ, eye and tissue donors," said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. "It is also a time to remember the nearly 2,500 people in our community that are waiting on a lifesaving transplant. With celebrations in both Colorado and Wyoming throughout the entire month of April, there are ample opportunities to join us in raising awareness and inspiring more Colorado and Wyoming residents to say yes to donation."

National Donate Life Month will continue to be celebrated throughout Colorado and Wyoming with "Show Your Heart" week, April 15-21. The entire week leading up to National Blue and Green Day on April 21, local businesses will be offering special discounts to those showing the hearts on their licenses or wearing blue and green in celebration of National Donate Life Month. For information on participating establishments throughout Colorado and Wyoming, visit http://www.donoralliance.org/events/show-your-heart-and-save-week/.  

On National Blue and Green Day, Colorado and Wyoming residents are encouraged to wear blue and green in an effort to promote the success of organ, eye and tissue transplantation and the need for registered donors. At noon, there will also be a National Donate Life Month celebration at the Mexican Consulate in Denver.

Businesses are also invited to take part in supporting the cause by displaying educational materials like fliers, posters, PSAs and more. Interested organizations can access a toolkit of ready-to-produce materials at http://www.donoralliance.org/NDLM/.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit DonorAlliance.org. To register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. For residents interested in learning more about living donation, please contact one of the local transplant centers listed on the Donor Alliance Living Donation resource page.

About Donor Alliance
Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ and tissue procurement agency for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals.

Donor Alliance adheres to the highest medical, regulatory and ethical standards, and meets every performance standard. By respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state's donor registry, Donor Alliance is able to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Colorado and Wyoming boast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved and healed through organ and tissue transplantation. Donor Alliance is one of 58 federally designated organizations of its kind in the United States. For more information visit DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.

SOURCE Donor Alliance

Related Links

http://www.donoralliance.org/