23rd Annual Gift of Life Donor Dash Raises More Than $600,000.
On average, 20 people die each day in the United States while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. The Donor Dash, founded in 1996, was created to raise awareness about this critical need, to increase the number of registered organ and tissue donors and to acknowledge the more than 5,300 men, women and children in Gift of Life’s region who are waiting for an organ transplant.
Battling the Elements for Organ Donation
Despite wind, rain, and unseasonably cold temperatures, the event drew more than 10,000 dedicated Dashers, nearly 400 teams, and raised more than $600,000 to support Gift of Life outreach programs to educate the community about the significant need to register more organ and tissue donors. For individuals who missed the Dash, but still want to donate, they can visit donordash.org.
The 23nd Annual Donor Dash offered several course options for participants – a 5K Run, a 10K Run and a 3K Walk – so people of all fitness levels could get involved. The Dash began at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and continued along Martin Luther King Drive, a USA Track and Field certified course. Also back by popular demand, the event included a Kid’s Fun Run for children six year’s old and under.
The Dash capped a weekend of events with Gift of Life. All weekend, buildings and bridges across the city were lit up in green -one of the official colors of organ donation awareness. They included the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the South Street Bridge, the Cira Centre Towers, 1735 Market Street, Liberty Place One and Two, and the PSFS Building.On Friday, Donors are Heroes hosted THE Party at The Bellevue Hotel which was the 16th year for the annual event. On Saturday, Dash participants joined a cookout at the Gift of Life Howie’s House to pick up their race packets. And on Sunday, April 15, “Dash Day,” Mayor Jim Kenney proclaimed April 2018 to be National Donate Life Month in the City of Philadelphia in a proclamation read by Councilman Mark Squilla.
“This is the most generous region for organ donation, so it is extremely fitting that the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love is the setting for this incredible event.” — Howard Nathan
“This is the most generous region for organ donation, with more organ donors and transplants than any area in the country, so it is extremely fitting that the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love is the setting for this incredible event,” said Howard M. Nathan, Gift of Life Donor Program President and CEO. “Most importantly, we made tremendous progress raising awareness for the more than 5,300 people waiting for life-saving organs in our region. I hope everyone who hears about this weekend’s events will be inspired to take a few moments and register as an organ donor at donors1.org.”
The Dash has grown significantly over the past two decades. In its first year, just 800 people participated. The event first began as a result of Claire Braverman’s wish to honor her husband, Mickey, who passed away while waiting for a liver transplant. Claire wanted to turn her grief into something positive, so she organized the first-ever Dash in his memory 22 years ago.
The Dash would not be possible without the strong support from its sponsors.
- Presenting Sponsor:
- Community Tissue Services
- Platinum Sponsors:
- Einstein Healthcare Network and Glenmede Trust Company
- Diamond Sponsors:
- Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley, Temple University Health System, Warner Benefits/HR Administrators and Venture Jets
- Bronze Sponsors:
- Bridge to Life, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Christiana Care Kidney Transplant Program, CSL Behring, Hahnemann University Hospital & Drexel College of Medicine, Labs Inc., Main Line Health, NORA, Penn Transplant Institute, Quick Courier, SightLife and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
- Kids Fun Run Sponsor
- Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children
- Supporters:
- Abington – Jefferson Health, AtlanticCare, Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation and Waters Medical Systems, LLC
- Patrons:
- Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Coim, Cornerstone Institutional Investors, Inc., Cozen O’Connor, CryoLife, LifeNet, Organ Recovery Systems, Pavone and Sanofi Genzyme
- Community and Media Partners:
- M. Levin & Co., Inc., Wegmans, Jack’s Firehouse, La Calaca Feliz, Le Pain Quotidien, Sabrina’s Café, Rita’s, 6abc, iHeart Radio, KYW Newsradio 1060 and Philadelphia Media Network
To see pictures from the Dash, visit: http://bit.ly/2018DashPhotos