Philadelphia, PA – The Philadelphia region showed its generous spirit yet again by supporting the life-saving power of organ donation during National Donate Life Month in April. More than 10,000 participants from across the tri-state area made Gift of Life Donor Program’s 26th Annual Donor Dash on Sunday, April 16 an outstanding success including:
- More than $540,000 raised for programs to support donor families and transplant recipients.
- Virtual participation by supporters from as far away as Ireland plus 30 states and Washington, D.C.
- Media and community partnerships that spread awareness of the critical need for more people to sign up as a donor to save lives.
The Dash was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; individuals who couldn’t take part but still want to donate may visit donordash.org.
The need for organ donors is urgent with about 5,000 children and adults awaiting a life-saving transplant in Gift of Life’s region, which spans the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Nationally, 17 people die waiting each day. It takes less than a minute to sign up as a donor at donors1.org.
The 26th Annual Donor Dash included activities for all ages and abilities: 5K and 10K runs, a Kids Fun Run, and the emotional finale: a 3K walk featuring cheering teams of family and friends celebrating transplant recipients, honoring heroic donors, supporting waitlist patients and embracing Gift of Life’s mission. Live entertainment new to the event included uplifting music by St. Thomas Gospel Choir of Philadelphia and the rousing rhythm of the Positive Movement Entertainment drumline.
The grief of a woman whose husband did not survive his desperate wait for a liver transplant inspired the creation of Donor Dash in 1996. Claire Braverman helped organize the first Dash to honor her husband, Mickey, and tell our community that organ donors are much-needed heroes who save lives.
The following generous sponsors made Gift of Life’s 26th Annual Donor Dash possible:
- Presenting Sponsor:
- Community Tissue Services
- Platinum Sponsor:
- MTF Biologics
- Diamond Sponsors:
- Gallagher Benefit Services, Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley, Nemours Children’s Health, Quick Courier Service, Inc., Temple University Health System, Venture Jets, Inc.
- Bronze Sponsors:
- Eurofins Donor & Product Testing, Lehigh Valley Health Network – Transplant, Organ Recovery Systems, Penn Transplant Institute, Jefferson Health, Veloxis Pharmaceuticals Inc.
- Backpack Sponsor:
- Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance (NORA)
- Kids Fun Run Sponsor:
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Supporting Sponsors:
- Christiana Care Kidney Transplant Program, Cornerstone Institutional Investors, Inc., Cozen O’Connor
- Volunteer Sponsor:
- AmeriHealth Caritas
- In-Kind Sponsor:
- Wegmans
- Patrons
- Artivion, Inc., CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting, Main Line Health, Penn State Health – Hershey Medical Center, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, LifeNet Health
About Gift of Life Donor Program
Gift of Life Donor Program is the non-profit, federally designated organ procurement organization, working with 126 acute care hospitals and 13 transplant centers to serve 11.3 million people in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. Thanks to its compassionate community, for the past 15 years, Gift of Life has coordinated the most organ donors in the United States. Its annual donation rate, most recently 61 organ donors-per-million-population, ranks among the highest in the world. Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 58,000 organs for transplant, and more than two million tissue transplants have resulted from the generosity of donors and their families. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can improve the lives of about 100 others. For more information or to register, visit donors1.org.