Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life

Valentine's Day Donor Registration Drive

2012-01-27T12:22:00.008-06:00

Offer Someone Your Heart This Valentine's Day

Starting February 1st until Valentine's Day on the 14th, the Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life will be running a two week organ donor registration drive. Sign up to become an organ donor, and offer someone your heart this Valentine's Day.

For U.S. state by state donation registrations click here:

http://donatelife.net/register-now/

For Australian registrations click here:

https://www2.medicareaustralia.gov.au:448/pext/registerAodr/Pages/DonorRegistration.jsp

Please Note: It is advisable for Australian Members to go into their nearest Medicare Branch and request to become an Organ Donor. Unfortunately the Online Registration Form doesn't always work, and you still have to physically sign and deliver forms to Medicare after you've signed up online

For U.K. registrations click here:

https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/RegistrationForm.do?campaignCode=-1

For Canadian registrations by Province click here:

http://organdonations.ca/how-you-can-help/become-an-organ-donor/

For German registrations click here:

http://www.organspende-info.de/extra/bestellservice/Organspendeausweis/\

For French registrations click here:

http://www.dondevie.com/

For Spanish registrations click here:

http://www.ont.es/Home?id_nodo=124

For Mexican registrations click here:

http://www.cenatra.salud.gob.mx/

For Italian registrations click here:

http://www.aido.it/index.php?id=1&faq=15

[Further information submitted to us from fan Maria ExOrma:
"In Italy to sign up as Donators, you have to follow the procedures, registering to A.I.D.O. (Associazione Italiana per la donazione di organi , tessuti e cellule....Italian Association for organs, tissues and cells donation)"]

For South African registrations click here:

http://www.odf.org.za/odf_public/Donor_Registration_Form/Donor_Registration_Form.php

For Polish registrations click here:

http://www.poltransplant.org.pl/form_main.html

http://www.poltransplant.org.pl/ow.html

If your country isn't listed, please use the following email box to contact us for more information.

Christmas Campaign Results and Presentation

2012-01-26T05:44:00.004-06:00

Sincere thanks once again to all who participated in our annual Christmas campaign. All told in excess of $250 was raised, with the money going towards two very worthwhile organisations, both dedicated to raising awareness of organ donation, and supporting the transplant community, Taylor's Gift and Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation.

An official presentation, in the form of a .PDF and Word file has been passed onto Alex's publicist, Rachael Wesolowski, as well as Allan Turner, Founder and CEO of Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation, and Todd Storch, Founder and President of Taylor's Gift. With much thanks to Todd storch as well, the presentation has also been forwarded onto Diana Jackson, Alex's personal assistant.

Those who wish to view the presentation for themselves, you may download a copy from either of these locations. Again we thank you kindly for all your support, and participation. We couldn't have done this without people like you.

Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life Christmas Campaign Presentation, PDF format:

http://www.4shared.com/office/00I7841-/aolfansdlchristmascampaign.html

Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life Christmas Campaign Presentation, Word format:

http://www.4shared.com/file/f9etbWlW/aolfansdlchristmascampaign.html

Organspender schenkt Leben

2012-01-18T22:49:00.004-06:00

Vielen Dank an Anna Franke fuer dieses informationen.

Nach angaben der Deutschen Stiftung Organtransplantation, 12,000 Deutsch leute warten jetz auf eine Organtransplantation.

Wenn Sie in Deutschland leben, dann bitte registrieren sie sich als Organspender. Es nimmt nur einen moment, und erinnern Sie sich ~ Organspender schenkt Leben!

Fuer weiter informationen besuchen sie bitte die folgenden websites:

http://www.organspende-info.de/

http://www.dso.de/

~~~~~~~~~

Many thanks to Anna Franke for this information.

According to the German Foundation for Organ Transplantion, 12,ooo German people are now waiting for an organ transplant.

If you live in Germany, please register as an Organ Donor. It only takes a moment, and remember ~ Organ Donors give Life!

For further information please visit the following websites:

http://www.organspende-info.de/

http://www.dso.de/

The Donate Life "2012" Bulletin

2012-01-12T13:11:00.001-06:00

The Donate Life "2012" Bulletin

January 9, 2012

WE HAVE LAUNCHED!

On January 4th Donate Life America officially launched the 20 Million in 2012 campaign!

The national press release overviews the activities planned for 2012 and gives particular attention to the release of the first "I am HOPE" video featuring Jessica Melore with NJ Organ Sharing Network. We have had numerous media inquiries to date, including Clear Channel, ABC, WebMD, US Health and Family, Women's Entertainment Network and Glamour Magazine. Women's Entertainment Network is planning a month-long campaign in April as a result of this outreach.

SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION!

Please promote the Glamour.com article in your social media efforts.

The press release is also part of the DLA Blog.

20 MILLION IN 2012 RESOURCES

All of the resources and tools listed below are now posted on www.donatelife.net/20million2012. These tools include:

The 20 Million in 2012 logo in various orientations (horizontal, vertical, conceptual, with outlines), file formats (eps, jpg, png, etc) and with and without the national tagline.
A Facebook button
Web banner ads
Link to donationpromotions.com regarding promotional items and a special group order flyer
Press release
Newsletter article
I am HOPE calendar
The 20 Million in 2012 Campaign Package

Other resources, like the Hope Cards, will be posted as they become available. Please direct questions on these resources to Nancy Evans.

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

Order 20 Million in 2012 shirts, foam fingers and fans!

All 2012 promotional items are available through donationpromotions.com. Most items can be customized, if desired. Stephanie Taylor or Jamie Moore with Commotion Promotions would love to help you with any regular or special orders. They can also help you brainstorm additional creative items for your 2012 events.

If you want to take advantage of even better pricing on generic t-shirts and foam fingers, they may be pre-ordered at special group pricing with a deadline of February 10 and delivery by the end of February.

I AM HOPE

We took short video and photos of donor family members and transplant recipients at the Donate Life Float Gala to create mini I am HOPE videos for social media use by your state. These will be available in a couple of weeks.

LINKING HANDS FOR LIFE

Here is short video highlighting the first Linking Hands for Life of 2012. This took place on New Year's Day around the Donate Life Float and created a moving tribute. It shows how easy and meaningful it is to include a Link in any of your 2012 events. This video can be used in your state's social media efforts this month http://animoto.com/play/J5zb0KyTCKgH06clVSHqow.

Donate Life America Launches "20 Million in 2012" Campaign

2012-01-06T13:27:00.000-06:00

Official Press Release, Source: DonateLifeAmerica.org

Donate Life America Launches Campaign to Register 20 Million New Organ Donors in 2012

RICHMOND, Va. – Jan. 4, 2012 – Today is Jessica Melore’s 30th birthday, a milestone birthday she did not always think she was going to have. At only 16 years old Jessica received a sudden and lifesaving heart transplant. Today, Jessica’s story of hope helps to launch Donate Life America’s bold new initiative, “20 Million in 2012.”

Donate Life America, the national organization promoting organ, eye and tissue donation in the United States, is launching this bold new initiative, “20 Million in 2012.” The initiative focuses on radically increasing the number of people registered on state donor registries. This official launch of the campaign comes on the heels of its announcement during the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA, where every year since 2004 it has sponsored the Donate Life float. This year’s float again featured inspirational stories of organ donors and their families, a tradition that the “20 million in 2012” campaign will continue throughout 2012 as it features powerful stories of those affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.

“I am so proud to be part of Donate Life America’s “20 Million in 2012” campaign, as part of the I am HOPE storytelling project,” says Melore. “New Jersey is the first state to promote the 2012 stories of hope. Real life stories like mine can inspire people to sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors. These commitments to donation provide hope to the more than 112,000 men, women and children on the organ transplant waiting list, along with the hundreds of thousands more in need of cornea and tissue transplants.”

Additionally, the “20 Million in 2012” campaign will feature four national Donate Life events during 2012: the Donate Life Flash Mob on March 24th, Donate Life Blue and Green Virtual Fashion Show on April 20th, Donate Life Champions in Fall 2012 and Donate Life Linking Hands for Life all year long.

“In 2012 we are making a bold statement about our commitment to save more lives,” says David Fleming, President and CEO of Donate Life America. “With the majority of individuals in the United States wishing to be organ, eye and tissue donors, the biggest challenge to meeting our goal of 20 million will be getting people to take action and register today as an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeAmerica.org.”

For more information about the “20 Million in 2012” campaign or to register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor and join in this lifesaving work, visit www.DonateLifeAmerica.org. For a written version of Jessica’s story visit http://www.sharenj.org/events/feature-events/2012/melore.htm.

"Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life" has joined this campaign, and throughout the year, we will post reminders for the upcoming events as well as additional information, here and on our Facebook page.

RockScar Love Designs Teams Up with Live Wright Society for "Scars R Sexy" Campaign

2012-01-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

We are passing this information along on behalf of our friend, liver transplant recipient and founder of RockScar Love Designs, Amy Tippins. If you are a small business owner, please consider becoming a sponsor. The logo of each sponsor will be featured on the upcoming website for this campaign.

RockScar Love Designs and Live Wright Society are coming together to celebrate scars!

During the first quarter of 2012, we will be launching Scars R Sexy, a campaign celebrating the
beautiful scars and stories of over 10,000 international fans from both organizations. Our slogan,
Rock Your Scar. Pay It Forward, embodies our mission to provide hope, healing and honor to all
the people who have become champions of their own life.

During this campaign we will be sending one t-shirt with ‘Scars R Sexy’ on it, to multiple
organizations, in each of the 50 states, to help us acquire 200 signatures, pictures and stories of
people who are paying it forward daily. Each state t-shirt will be auctioned off for charity (hint,
hint: it would help us auction shirts if they each have at least one celebrity signature).

We are offering the opportunity for small business to participate in this campaign, via
sponsorship of state t-shirts in small lot size.

Each sponsor will receive credit on RockScarLove.com, LiveWrightSociety.org and
ScarsRSexy.com (to be launched soon) as well as all of our associated social media platforms,
and will be mentioned in the media for state/s they sponsor. All of our partners will also be
tweeting and Facebook sharing to raise awareness for this campaign and to encourage more
people to participate with their signatures and pictures. Also, sponsors will be asked to help us
get signatures, an excellent way to celebrate your clients’ personal stories and achievements.

Please help to pass on the message of “Pay It Forward” by contacting us. Your participation in this campaign will make a great difference.

Pricing includes production and the estimated Fedex/UPS tracked shipping cost to and from one
contact in each designated state.

5 shirts at $25 a shirt = $125
10 shirts at $20 a shirt = $200
15 shirts at $18 a shirt = $270
20 shirts at $15 a shirt = $300

For any sponsorships greater or less than this quantity, please contact Amy Tippins at RockScar
Love Designs: rockscarlove@gmail.com

Thank YOU so much!

Happily,
The RockScar Love Team
The Live Wright Society Team

Who really deserves an organ donation?

2011-12-28T15:28:00.008-06:00

Earlier this year Australian broadcaster Derryn Hinch caused controversy and debate when he received a liver transplant after admitting that the Liver cancer that necessitated his transplant was a direct result of years of alcohol abuse. George Best caused similar controversy in 2002, when he also received a Liver transplant after a lengthy battle with alcoholism.

In most countries with organ transplant capabilities the delegation of donor organs is based on medical need, those who are sickest take precedence over those who aren't. Apart from the expectation that those who are alcohol or substance abusers should be stable in their recovery before transplant, moral concerns aren't taken into consideration when it comes to deciding who will be the recipient of a transplant.

But should they be? Should moral concerns form more of a basis for deciding what organs, if any, go to what patients?

My answer to that would be, "Who are we to decide."

Consider these two people, one is a homemaker in a loving marriage, who volunteers her time supporting various charitable organisations, and raising awareness of organ donation; the other is a heroin addicted street prostitute, with a criminal record. Who is more deserving of receiving a donor organ if a transplant ever became necessary? What if I told you they were the same person.

That's the trouble with basing medical needs on moral, or personal judgments. You can point to someone and say, 'if this person doesn't receive an organ transplant, they will die', and that is something that is both inevitable and immutable. Point to someone and say 'this person doesn't deserve an organ transplant because they do not contribute meaningfully to society' and you are dealing with opinions, not facts, that are subject to change. Outside of certain predetermined medical outcomes, when it comes to deciding who is more deserving of receiving an organ transplant the future isn't set in stone. If you read through US Department of Health's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network's policies on the allocation of donated organs you will notice a recurring theme - all allocations are based on a standardised scale of medical urgency. At the end of the day a decision based objectively, and quantifiably, is the only truly moral way we have to decide who receives the gift of life.

Let me put it another way. The person described above, the charitable homemaker in a loving marriage, and the heroin addicted street prostitute with a criminal record, is me. 10 years ago if I had needed an organ transplant, and the allocation of donor organs was based on anything other than cold, hard, medical facts, I would not be here today. I wouldn't be writing this editorial opinion, I wouldn't be helping to raise awareness of organ donation, and I wouldn't have been afforded the opportunity to change.

To read a paper on the Ethics of Organ Donation, published by the University of Minnesota's Bioethics department, which includes a timeline of the legal and ethical consideration in regards to organ procurement, and allocation, please visit this link:

http://www.ahc.umn.edu/img/assets/26104/Organ_Transplantation.pdf

For more information on the allocation of donor organs in the United States specifically, please visit the following link:

http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov

Information for other countries can be found via Google.

Suite101 features Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life

2011-12-13T10:04:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much to Cheryl for her wonderful article! :)

|Dec 13, 2011 by Cheryl Hollar, Suite101.com

The Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life website teams with other charities in an all-out campaign to register 20 million organ donors in 2012. Organ donation is the gift of life that keeps on giving, and the gift that truly goes around the world.

The Ultimate Gift of Life

Outside Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa stands “the giving tree,” placed there for the first time this year, according to KTIV, in remembrance of those who have given the ultimate gift of life through organ donation.
There will undoubtedly be many people in need of such a gift this Christmas. And the entertainment industry is proving to be quite a powerful tool in making the giving of this gift possible.

20 Million in 2012

Donate Life America, and National Chair Tenaya Wallace, stand at the threshold of the new year with a national, year-long campaign to register “20 Million in 2012.” But at least one actor’s fans are not waiting until next year.
The Alex O’Loughlin Fans for Donate Life website http://www.alexoloughlinfansfordonatelife.com, headed by Sabine Atkins, has begun a Christmas greeting campaign for O’Loughlin to acknowledge his fans’ support of his platform with Donate Life as well as to raise awareness of organ donation.

Ribbons for Organ Donation

Through January 1, fans of O'Loughlin (who stars in Hawaii Five-0) are asked to purchase ribbons for one of two organ donation foundations, Taylor's Gift and Zaidee's Rainbow, and to then submit a photograph wearing those ribbons. (O'Loughlin is Spokesperson for Taylor's Gift).

Atkins hopes this will be the start of a huge voice on the listening end of potential organ donation registrants.

Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life

Atkins became interested in organ donation about 10 years ago, while still living in Germany. Already an O’Loughlin fan since his Moonlight days in 2007, she continued to support him through his role as transplant surgeon Dr. Andy Yablonski in Three Rivers. When O’Loughlin trained to become an Ambassador for Donate Life Hollywood, Atkins branched out from her German fan club membership to create the Alex O’Loughlin Fans for Donate Life website and support him in this cause.

Campaign Plans

Through her website, Atkins has been able to effectively spread the word worldwide about organ donation. And, though her exact plans for the Donate Life “20 Million in 2012” campaign are still in the brainstorming stage, it is certain that she will be collaborating with Australian counterpart/co-administrator and social media expert Claire Eyles.

Atkins will also be working with RockScar Love Designs founder and liver transplant recipient, Amy Tippins, along with the creators of the Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation.

Rock Scar Love Designs and Zaidee's Rainbow

Rock Scar Love Designs and Zaidee’s Rainbow represent opposite ends of the spectrum with their messages about organ donation. While Rock Scar reaches out to transplant recipients with the message that they don’t have to be ashamed or embarrassed by their scars, Zaidee’s Rainbow offers hope to families and patients through the gift of organ donation.

Zaidee’s Rainbow is an Australian organization in memory of seven year-old Zaidee, who passed away at the tender age of seven. Through her passing, she was able to save seven lives through organ and tissue donation. The mission of Zaidee’s Rainbow, as posted at http://zaidee.org, is simple: “After every storm, the sun shines, and there is a rainbow. For those people on the transplant waiting list, the rainbow symbol offers them hope.”

A Voice Heard Around the World

This is the hope of Atkins’ Alex O’Loughlin Fans for Donate Life that is heard around the world, from America to Germany to Australia and beyond. And, hopefully, it is the beginning of a successful campaign to reach “20 Million in 2012.”
Atkins recognizes that sometimes it is difficult for charities to effectively get the word out regarding their organization and is happy that the enthusiastic fans of O’Loughlin can join together and support him, and the cause, in this way. She is also thankful for O’Loughlin’s participation in the efforts of the Alex O’Loughlin Fans for Donate Life.

Article reposted with permission from the author. Read this article also at Suite101: Hawaii Five-0 Actor's Fans Join Donate Life "20 Million in 2012" | Suite101.com http://cheryl-hollar.suite101.com/hawaii-five-0-actors-fans-join-donate-life-20-million-campaign-a398838#ixzz1gQfJ1y6a

The Strange Case of Madeleine Gauron: medical miracle, gross incomptence, or is somebody pushing an agenda?

2011-12-10T09:44:00.003-06:00

Reports have recently been circulating regarding the extraordinary story of a 76 year old Quebec woman who awoke after allegedly being confirmed as 'brain dead'. One of the reports reads, in part, as follows:

Last week, Madeleine Gauron, a Quebec woman identified as viable for organ donation after doctors diagnosed her as “brain dead,” surprised her family and physicians when she recovered from a coma, opened her eyes, and began eating.

The 76-year-old woman was hospitalized at the Hospital Sainte Croix de Drummondville for an inflammation of the gums, which required a brief operation. During her recovery, hospital staff gave the elderly woman solid food, which she had been unable to consume in her family home for some time, and left her unattended. Choking on the food, she fell into a coma, after unsuccessful resuscitation.

Medical staff contacted her family, explaining to them that their mother was “brain dead,” with no hope of recovery. Citing Gauron’s eyes as particularly viable, the doctors asked if the family would agree to organ donation.

While supporting the possibility of donation, her shocked family first demanded further medical tests to prove Gauron was really dead.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/brain-dead-quebec-woman-wakes-up-after-family-refuses-organ-donation/

Is this a case of the truly miraculous, gross medical incompetence, or is somebody pushing an agenda? Let's look at the alleged facts of this case with a more critical eye.

1) There have been no objective reports regarding this case, in the legitimate press, that I have been able to find to date. The reports that have appeared are coming primarily from Pro Life, Pro Christian, Anti Euthanasia type websites. In other words, websites with a very specific agenda.

2) The very nature of the report plays into people's fears of Doctors not doing enough to save them, or even going so far as to take their lives, in order to harvest organs. These scare tactics seem designed to make a specific point, given the nature of the sites where this report has appeared.

3) Canadian guidelines for the diagnosis of Brain Death are strict, as are the guidelines in the majority of countries. Following these guidelines, as published by The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, a diagnosis of brain death would not be given after a perfunctory exam, which is what this article appears to be implying.

4) Under Canadian guidelines it is also recommended, as a general rule, that the Organ Transplant team, and the Doctors whose role it is to diagnose brain death, not be one and the same. The possibility of medical staff approaching a patient's family to discuss organ donation under these circumstances is unlikely. Furthermore the viability of a potential donor's organs would not be discussed with the family, especially upon an initial approach, given the organ viability is not generally known until actual procurement takes place. So the idea that Doctors approached Madeleine Gauron's next of kin, and cited her eyes as 'particularly viable' quiet frankly sounds like a complete fabrication.

(Quoted from The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences: Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Brain Death)

As a general rule, those individuals who assess patients for brain death should not be part of the transplant team.

http://www.cjns.org/26febtoc/guide.html

(From the Canadian Association of Transplantation website)

Doctors who care for seriously injured patients are not involved with the transplant process. Their only concern is to save lives. Organ donation is only considered after all attempts to save your life have failed, death has been declared, and your family has been consulted regarding your wishes.

5) Guidelines for the procurement and transplantation of donor organs in Canada do not extend to patients, who have not even been declared brain dead, being whisked away without familial consent in order to have their organs harvested against all ethical considerations, and moral responsibilities. This, quite simply, is not how organ donation is conducted.

~~~~~~~~~

So what actually did happen in Madeleine Gauron's case? With no reliable, non biased reports to go on, we can only speculate.

A Canadian Parliamentary report into Organ Donation and Transplantation, published in 2009, mentions 'Required Referral' and 'Required Request'. According to this document, British Colombia and Ontario have legislated for required referral, whilst New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have instituted required request (Manitoba has legislated for both).

Required referral refers to the requirement that health care professionals report all brain deaths (and possibly cardiac deaths) or imminent deaths, to their local organ procurement organization.

Required request obliges health care professionals to approach the families of identified, potential organ donors and inquire about donation.

http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/researchpublications/prb0824-e.htm

Under required referral, or mandatory reporting legislation, the transplant team would have been informed as soon as intensive care staff suspected the woman's prognosis was poor. This is not the same as the woman being confirmed as brain dead.

Once the woman's next of kin had been informed of their loved one's prognosis, the Organ Transplant and Procurement team would most likely then have made an initial approach to the family in order to ascertain, and discuss their feelings regarding organ donation, including the wishes of the patient if they were known. Again, at this stage the transplant team approaching a potential donor's family does not automatically imply a definitive diagnosis of brain death has been made. Doctors working in critical care all over the world spend time preparing families for a variety of outcomes, including the fact that tests may very well show their loved one has passed on. Not only does this minimise emotional shock, it also helps the patient's next of kin to prepare. The same principal is at work when loved ones and families are initially approached in regards to Organ Donation.

At this point it's possible Madeleine Gauron's family misunderstood the transplant team's initial approach as confirmation that a diagnosis of brain death had been made. Even if that were the case, and there is absolutely no reliable evidence to say it was, the family is still within their rights to ask for further testing in order to confirm the diagnosis. When it comes to organ donation time is of the essence in terms of cellular and tissue breakdown leading to organs becoming non viable; however, this does not mean that a person is rushed into surgery the very moment a physician utters the words 'brain dead'.

~~~~~~~~~

So a woman is admitted to hospital for a routine operation. Whilst under hospital care she chokes on solid food, and falls into a coma. Given the woman's age, and other observations possibly made by medical staff involved in her care, her prognosis is considered 'poor'. Under required referral legislation critical care staff are obligated to contact the transplant team and inform them of a potential donor candidate (remember this is not the same as declaring someone brain dead, patients who medical staff suspect may be approaching death may also be identified as potential candidates for organ donation). After Doctors involved with the Intensive Care unit have approached the woman's family to discuss her prognosis, members of the Organ Transplant and Procurement team then make an initial approach in order to gently ascertain the family's feelings towards organ donation should the worst come to pass, and determine whether or not they are aware of their loved one's wishes. The family misunderstands this as a confirmed diagnosis of brain death, when none has been given, and demands further tests as is their right. Tests confirm that the woman is indeed not brain dead, and defying the Doctors prognosis she then turns around and makes an almost miraculous complete recovery.

And there you have it, the most likely speculative scenario in the case of Madeleine Gauron (in my opinion at least). No Lazarus style miracle, no 'coma misdiagnosed as brain death', no ghouls waiting in the wings ready to swoop on an unsuspecting victim and seize their organs, and certainly no agenda.

Christmas Campaign Extended

2011-12-08T23:41:00.002-06:00

As most of you are already aware I have been afforded the opportunity to interview Donate Life Ambassador, and spokesperson for Taylor's Gift Foundation, Alex O'Loughlin. We were hoping to have the interview coincide with our current Christmas campaign, unfortunately the initial date and time that was set up for the interview to go ahead has had to be postponed due to illness (on my side). Alex's publicist has very kindly agreed to reschedule.

With this in mind, our Christmas campaign, in support of Taylor's Gift and Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation, has been extended from December 21st to the 1st of January 2012. You now have an extra 10 days to purchase your ribbons, and get your photos in to be included on a collage that will be forwarded on to Alex's publicist. We hope that this extension, in concurrence with the rescheduled interview, will help maximise the benefits to both charities.

RockScar Love Designs T-Shirt "Privilege of the Scar" available now!

2011-12-05T08:54:00.000-06:00

| by Sabine Atkins, creator/owner, www.alexoloughlinfansfordonatelife.com

"Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life" is a proud partner of RockScar Love Designs, and their CEO Amy Tippins, who is a liver transplant recipient and a wonderful friend of our fan community, asked me to present their new T-Shirt "Privilege of the Scar" to Alex's fans.

RockScar Love Designs T-Shirts make cool, hip, fun conversation starters about organ donation (the back of the T-Shirt reads "I'll show you mine if you show me yours"), and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of RockScar Love T-Shirts goes to charity.

I'm usually not a "catwalk" type of person, and my photo model skills are virtually non-existent, nevertheless I feel very honored to show a piece of RockScar Love's unique celebration of sexy scars. The T-Shirt is very comfortable, yet flattering (slim fit), and it goes well with sportswear and jeans alike.

Please visit the RockScar Love Designs website to order this T-Shirt or to check out more wearable art with a life-saving message! Thank you! :)

(please click on the image to view the larger version)

"Like" RockScar Love Designs on Facebook

Follow RockScar Love Designs on Twitter

German Alex O'Loughlin Fan Club Christmas Present for Taylor's Gift

2011-11-28T19:18:00.001-06:00

The founder and core members of the German Alex O'Loughlin Fan Club have sent an early Christmas present to Taylor's Gift and their spokesperson Alex O'Loughlin: They have given $330 in support of the wonderful charity that made raising awareness for organ donation their mission.

Silke aka Schmeissi, Babette, Anne, Tinker, Petralisa, Hexe, Alexfan, Tanja and Sabine wish Taylor's Gift and Alex O'Loughlin a Merry Christmas!

The fan club also translated Taylor Storch's story, and provides other members and visitors on their website with translated instructions on how to donate funds to Taylor's Gift:

http://www.german-alex-oloughlin-fanclub.de/Weihnachtsgeschenk-2011.htm

Here is the Thank You note from Taylor's Gift, please click on the image to view the large version.

If you are also interested in donating funds to Taylor's Gift, please click here:

http://www.taylorsgift.org/give

Thank you very much and Happy Holidays!

Suite101.com Article: Interviews with Tenaya Wallace (Donate Life), Todd Storch (Taylor's Gift) on TV's importance for a life-saving cause

2011-11-26T07:22:00.000-06:00

Here is a blurb, please click on the link to read the full article by Cheryl Hollar, who kindly shared this article with me.

Wallace says, “Alex O’Loughlin told me he was very attracted to the part of a physician as a transplant surgeon in Three Rivers. He said, ‘I think this is an important platform, this is an important cause, and being in this role has given me an opportunity to share a message about organ donation.’”

Introducing ZAIDEE'S RAINBOW FOUNDATION

2011-11-19T11:20:00.000-06:00

| by Sabine Atkins, creator/owner/admin, www.alexoloughlinfansfordonatelife.com

Recently, Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life have kicked off their 2011 Christmas campaign in support of actor and Donate Life Ambassador Alex O'Loughlin and two amazing organ donation charities: Taylor's Gift and Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation.

Alex is an Australian, who works in the USA. "Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life" has two administrators, Claire from Australia, and me from the USA. We are therefore very happy to connect our two countries with this year's Christmas campaign as well!

Due to Alex now also being a spokesperson for Taylor's Gift, most of the fans have learned more about this wonderful foundation from the USA, therefore I would like to introduce today the wonderful Australian charity Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation. Many thanks to Allan Turner, Founder and CEO, for providing me with all the information and images! We are asking Alex's fans to help us expand Zaidee's Rainbow to the USA and other countries, thus raising awareness for this life-saving cause in an uplifting way.

"There has never been a campaign like Zaidee's ever in Australia, and that is why we have had great success in getting people to support the foundation. We break new ground and ways to promote organ and tissue donation via unique and uplifting events," says Allan.

Zaidee's Story

Zaidee Rose Alexander Turner – aged 7 years and 22 days died suddenly on 2nd December 2004 from a burst blood vessel in her brain called a Cerebral Aneurism. Zaidee’s parents, Kim and Allan, founded Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation not long after.

At the time of Zaidee’s death the Turner family had been registered Organ and Tissue Donors for 5 years. As a result Zaidee donated her Organs and Tissues at the Royal Children’s Hospital, as were her wishes at the time. From this gift, the lives of 7 people (6 children and 1 adult) were improved and, in some cases, saved.
Zaidee was the only child in Victoria under the age of 16 years and we have been told one of the youngest Australians to donate her organs and tissues in 2004. She was only 1 of 6 children nationally to donate their organs.

Zaidee’s Story is directed towards both children and adults so they can think about others who are waiting for a life saving operation and a suitable match for an organ or tissue. Think about giving this gift to others so they can live a better life and in some cases, have a second chance at life.

Zaidee’s gift of her organs to others will allow them to have another birthday. 1 in 5 people on the transplant waiting list will never get the chance to have another birthday if people do not become registered donors.
The symbol is representative of hope; after every storm the sun shines and there is a rainbow. For those people on the transplant waiting list, the rainbow symbol offers them hope. At the end of their rainbow is an organ or tissue to improve their life – or in most cases – save their life.

In 2004 130,000 Australians died. Only 218 were Organ Donors.

The Rainbow Shoelaces

Zaidee's Rainbow Shoelaces are at the core of the foundation's campaigns and one of Australia's national symbols used to create awareness for this subject. The public can reflect their support by wearing the laces which are sold for just $2 a pair. Zaidee Turner wore rainbow-colored laces in her shoes when she was a little girl and it was in her memory that the concept of rainbow laces was developed.

Zaidee's Rainbow and Sports

"We have had massive support from Australian major sporting codes where we have elite sporting players wearing Zaidee's laces in very high profile games - we then drive this down to grass roots level of sport - we have a massive link into youth sport and community groups, " says Allan. "We have had adidas, Puma and Nike make Zaidee's Rainbow Boots recently - we have had Rainbows sprayed on sporting fields, we have had race cars put rainbow stickers and logos on their cars as well as racing motorbikes."

"One of our aims is to take Zaidee's Rainbow Shoelaces world wide as most sports plays need shoelaces in the boots runners or other type of sporting shoes. The laces sell for $2 each. Everyone loves the laces from 5 years old to 100 years old in all age groups and all demographics of the community. Even Chris [Klug] will need them in his Snow Boots. We have done a number of things in snow - in 2009 we made Australia's Largest Snowman."

"Inspire Discussion"

There is a Zaidee's Rainbow Van and a Zaidee's Rainbow Motorbike, which are used for displays during fairs and events.

"We also have a number of other retail products being developed which now carries Zaidee's name on pack," says Allan.

The products are:

Zaidee's Black School Shoes
Zaidee's 2KG Bags of Apples
Zaidee's Rainbow Confectionary
Zaidee's Wrist Pocket

Plus other products which are being sold via the Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation website.

In 2012, Zaidee's Rainbow will launch a national schools educational program that will be online for students to learn more about this subject from the ages of 7 to 18 years of age. The foundation also has a University Program that will engage every university student in Australia around 500,000 in 2012.

We here at "Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life" wholeheartedly support this concept of encouraging discussion, and we would like to encourage Alex's fans all over the world to get Zaidee's Rainbow Shoelaces and use them as conversation starters about organ donation.

There is a need for discussion about organ donation, because not only is it important to communicate your wishes to your family if you are registered as an organ donor, it is also about busting persistent myths and raising positive awareness in the general public.

We can all do our part. Start today by contacting Allan directly at allan@zaidee.org - and letting him know that you would like to wear a part of Zaidee's Rainbow in your corner of the world. Thank you! :)

Please also read Claire's post "Overseas Supporters: How to Join In with the Christmas Campaign"

Overseas Supporters: How To Join In With The Christmas Campaign

2011-11-19T02:31:00.005-06:00

If you live outside of the United States, or Australia, you can still purchase ribbons from either Taylor's Gift or Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation.

(with thanks to Emanuela for the information)

The Taylor's Gift website has recently been updated with shipping available not only to the U.S. but also to the U.K., Canada and other countries. Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation President, Allan Turner, may be contacted direct to arrange international postage rates outside of Australia.

Visit Taylor's Gift Store

Email Allan Turner - Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation

Help Wish Alex a Merry Christmas & Support Organ Donor Awareness

2011-11-09T18:06:00.007-06:00

This year the Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life will be supporting two chosen Organ & Tissue Donation Awareness foundations, to help wish Donate Life Ambassador, and Taylor's Gift Foundation spokesperson, Alex O'Loughlin a very Merry Christmas.

You will have from now until December 21st to participate. It's easy to take part, and will only cost you around $5.00 Australian or US, not including postage and handling.

Instructions:

Please visit either of these stores. It's up to you which one you choose, or even if you want to choose both.

Taylor's Gift Store - Taylor's Gift Foundation

Zaidee's Shop - Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation

And then look for the following products:

Taylor's Gift Hair Ribbons

Colorful ribbons to dress up any pony tail and support Taylor's Gift Foundation at the same time. Comes in 3 different colorful options!

Price - $5.00 U.S (includes Sales Tax)

Please use the store contact form to confirm postage rates to your area.

Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation

Zaidee's Bow with Clip

Price - $5.00 Aus
Postage - $1.95 within Australia

Once you've purchased and received your Taylor's Gift and/or Zaidee's Rainbow Foundation hair ribbons, take a photograph of yourself wearing them (or if you're shy, just a photograph of the ribbons themselves) and send it through to the following email address, with the subject header 'Merry Christmas Alex', no later than December 21st.

Emerald72@bigpond.com

After I've received the photos, I will create an image collage, along with a message of Season's Greetings, which Todd Storch, the President of Taylor's Gift, has very kindly agreed to pass on to Alex's people. Please be aware; however, we cannot guarantee Alex will be able to acknowledge this gift.

Thank you in advance to all who participate.

Mother Hears Her 13 Year Old Daughter's Heart Beating One Last Time

2011-11-06T12:45:00.003-06:00

http://www.taylorsgift.org

The story of 13 year old Taylor Storch is so heartbreaking and inspirational. After she tragically died in a ski accident, she left behind her organs to save the lives of others. This is the video of her mother meeting the woman who has Taylor's heart now and hearing it beat again.

http://www.godvine.com/Mother-Hears-her-Daughter-s-Heart-Beat-One-Last-Time-649.html

DONATE LIFE Graphic Design Contest: Win $1000 and support a great cause!

2011-11-01T19:44:00.001-05:00

Please forward on to any graphic artists who you work with or who you know personally! We will be promoting the winning graphic artist themselves along with their design when we launch the 2012 Campaign in January. We’d love to see your friends and contacts as the winner.

CALLING ALL GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Help save lives, win $1,000, and receive free publicity from Donate Life!

Create a unique logo design for our new

20 million in 2012 campaign

to register 20 million Americans as organ, eye, and tissue donors in 2012

Deadline November 28th

$1,000 CASH PRIZE

Create a logo for the 20 million in 2012 campaign. Include these elements in your logo design:

▫ “20 million in 2012”

▫ Donate Life brand: EPS file will be provided

▫ Donate Life colors

▫ “Be an organ donor” or “Join your state donor registry”

▫ Donatelifeamerica.org

For more information and to provide submissions contact

Tenaya Wallace, National Campaign Chair, 20 million in 2012

213-229-5659 and twallace@onelegacy.org

A Message From Alex O'Loughlin

2011-10-27T22:30:00.006-05:00

Alex O'Loughlin, star of CBS's hit TV show, Hawaii Five-0, lends his official support to Taylor's Gift in Team Escalade Cadillac Charity Challenge

This email was forwarded onto us courtesy of Todd Storch, President of Taylor's Gift Foundation:

Date: October 27, 2011 9:22:46 PM CDT
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Subject: A NOTE FROM ALEX ABOUT TAYLOR'S GIFT

Hi! As some of you know, Alex is a spokesperson for Taylor's Gift. He became involved with Taylor's Gift after meeting Tara and Todd Storch at a Donate Life Event in 2010. After hearing the Storch's story, and how they are turning the grief of

losing their oldest daughter in a skiing accident into positive change, Alex decided to become involved with their foundation and has been helping the Storch's spread an important message ever since. Taylor's Gift is Increasing Organ Donation to: Regift Life, Renew Health, and Restore Families. Taylor's Gift is currently in a Texas-wide competition and have a chance to win $150,000 towards their campaign. Please help Taylor's Gift win this competition by voting before Oct. 30. Right now, they are only behind by 35 votes. If you can, please share Alex's message and the voting directions on your FB pages and social networking sites. Every vote counts. To learn more go to www.taylorsgift.org

A NOTE FROM ALEX:

"Hi guys! For those of you who have voted already - Thank you very much! For those who haven't please do so today and every day until Oct. 30. Remember, you can vote multiple times, every day is a new vote and all votes are counted. Taylor's Gift is such a wonderful organization and it needs all the support that it can get to do as much good as possible. I know Taylor's parents, Todd and Tara, will be deeply grateful for your support. Thank you all again so very much on behalf of Taylor's Gift and everyone associated with this great cause. Yours sincerely, Alex O'Loughlin"

To Vote:
DIRECT LINKS TO VOTE FOR TAYLOR'S GIFT! Vote everyday in all 4 cities! Taylor's Gift can't do this without you!

DFW https://www.facebook.com/MetroplexCadillacDealers?sk=app_274534522571882
Austin https://www.facebook.com/AustinCadillac?sk=app_171873706225535
San Antonio https://www.facebook.com/sanantoniocadillacdealers?sk=app_100748246701254
Houston https://www.facebook.com/HoustonAreaCadillacDealers?sk=app_278723052155495

Screencap & Link to original forwarded email

http://i41.tinypic.com/2r7u5bn.jpg

Articles of Interest Weekly Roundup

2011-10-25T05:25:00.002-05:00

Winning poster design in the 2007 Ontario Education campaign to raise high school student's awareness of Organ Donation

This Week's Articles Of Interest For Organ Donation Awareness

Kuwait Expert Calls for Great Organ Donation Awareness:

Click to read article

Belper MP Encourages People to Become Organ Donors:

Click to read article

Changes to Vancouver Organ Donation Program Urged:

Click to read article

Harrow Mother Encourages People to Sign up to Register to Donate Organs:

Click to read article

UCSF Receives Grant to Improve Outcomes in Organ Donor Transplantation:

Click to read article

Researchers Look to Optimise Donations in the United States:

Click to read article

Houston Couple's Mission: Boost Organ Donations:

Click to read article

Oakland A's Catcher Working to Raise Awareness of Donate Life:

Click to read article

Australian Donors Rise, But More Needed:

Click to read article

Organ Donation is a Noble Deed - Visually Handicapped in India Pledge to Donate Organs

2011-10-25T05:14:00.004-05:00

Organ Donation is a Noble Deed

Visually handicapped pledge to donate body organs

The vision for these students with physical challenges extends beyond just their life. “Even if I die, my body parts will be of use to someone who is in need,” says A. Guruvammal, a student of B.A History, who is among the 27 residents of Nethrodaya who have pledged to donate their organs after death. “Except for eyes, I am willing to donate all my organs that might be of need to anyone,” she said, at the ninth anniversary celebrations of Nethrodaya.

Full Article Here: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2566854.ece

Welcome Trevor Munson as Patron

2011-10-17T00:05:00.007-05:00

Trevor Munson, creator/former executive producer of Moonlight, and author of the novel Angel of Vengeance, has very kindly agreed to come on board with the Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life as an official Patron.

Trevor previously worked with Alex on the CBS television show, Moonlight, when Alex played the role of Mick St John, a character created by Trevor Munson & Ron Koslow, and based on Trevor's original character, Mick Angel, in his novel, Angel of Vengeance.

"I was one of the two people who actively had a part in creating Mick St. John. My co-creator, Ron Koslow (Beauty and the Beast) and I basically used my novel as a jumping-off point for the more romantic, elegant series that CBS had in mind for their network."

(Trevor Munson on the character of Mick St John)

Trevor started his Hollywood career when he made the quarter finals in the Nicholl Fellowships and took fourth place in the Slamdance Screenwriter competition with his original screenplay "Lone Star State of Mind".

Trevor’s next assignment was adapting John Welter’s novel “I Want to Buy a Vowel” for New Line Cinema.

Having grown tired of assignment work, Trevor decided to try his hand at novel writing. As a result, he took some time away from Hollywood to work on a first novel entitled "Angel of Vengeance," a modern noir story about a vampire private investigator in Los Angeles, which was published and released on February 1, 2011, to rave reviews. The manuscript became the basis for the CBS television series "Moonlight" for which Trevor served as co-creator and co-Executive producer. Although short-lived, the show's loyal fan base helped it win the People's Choice Award for Best New Drama, and the DVD won the Saturn Award for the 2008 Best DVD Television Release.

Since the show ended, Trevor currently has several projects in various states of development.

Trevor Munson has been a staunch supporter of Donate Life, and associated Organ Donor awareness groups, since 2008 when his Mother's life was saved by a bone marrow transplant. He can often be seen sporting a green Donate Life wrist band during public appearances.

We would like to thank Trevor for this opportunity to work with him to further the cause of Organ Donation, and to welcome him on board as an official patron of our group. We are very proud to have him with us.

Trevor Munson is represented by Verve Talent & Literary Agency 9696 Culver Blvd. Suite 301 Culver City,CA 90232, Contact Bill Wienstein.

Copies of Trevor's novel, Angel of Vengeance, are available for purchase from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Vengeance-Novel-Inspired-Moonlight/dp/184856855X

(Trevor Munson signs his novel, Angel of Vengeance, at a recent Los Angeles appearance: Photo by Allegrita.)

How You Can Vote For Taylor's Gift To Win The Cadillac Charity Challenge

2011-10-15T20:56:00.012-05:00

On the 15th of March 2010, Taylor Paige Storch's young life was cut tragically short following a skiing accident at the age of 13. Out of tragedy came hope, when 5 people's lives were saved thanks to Taylor becoming an Organ Donor. The Taylor’s Gift Foundation was founded in 2010 with a mission to Regift Life, Renew Health, and Restore Families. Delivering events, speaking engagements, and fundraisers, the Taylor's Gift Foundation aims to teach, and educate audiences about organ donation, and the precious gift of life each one of us can give.

Team Escalade Texas Cadillac Charity Challenge

Taylor's Gift Foundation is in the running to win a $150,000 media and advertising package, thanks to the Team Escalade Texas Cadillac Charity Challenge. With your daily votes, Taylor's Gift can win this challenge and increase their outreach, potentially reaching millions with the life saving message of organ donation.

Donate Life Ambassador, Alex O'Loughlin is the celebrity behind the Taylor's Gift Foundations' bid to win the Team Escalade Texas Cadillac Charity Challenge. He had this to say regarding his support for this very worthwhile cause:

This Foundation means a lot to me and needs your votes!

(Donate Life Ambassador and Taylor's Gift Foundation supporter, Alex O'Loughlin, pictured here with Taylor's Gift Foundation Founder and President, Todd and Tara Taylor Storch. 2010)

HOW TO VOTE STEP BY STEP

Follow the links posted on Facebook, or on one of the many Alex O'Loughlin related fan sites.

Link 1:

http://www.taylorsgift.org/vote

Link 2:

http://www.facebook.com/TaylorsGift?sk=app_219251521462471

STEP 1

A page should open like this. Go ahead and click where it says 'Like'.

STEP 2

On the same page, click where it says 'Vote'.

STEP 3

A new page will open. Wait for the page to load, and then click on the red 'Vote' button.

Please Note: After you've pressed the red 'vote' button, a dialogue box may appear asking you to give permission for the Cadillac voting application to access some of your Facebook details. This is perfectly safe, there is no security risk involved, so go ahead and click on 'Allow'.

CONGRATULATIONS YOU'VE JUST VOTED FOR TAYLOR'S GIFT TO WIN THE CADILLAC CHARITY CHALLENGE!

But we're not quite done yet. You can vote a total of 4 times every 24 hours.

STEP 4

Return to the main page as shown in step 1 and 2. Look down the bottom of the page, and see where it says
'You Can Vote Again Daily', and then directly below that 'Dallas/Fortworth - Houston - Austin - San Antonio. Click on each one of those cities in turn, and then repeat steps 2 & 3.

Don't forget to return in 24 hours, and vote again.

A Reminder for People Registered as Organ Donors in New York State

2011-10-12T18:31:00.004-05:00

Thank you to Vicki Lee Kolts for sending us the following information:

I am in New York State. This is the information from the New York State Dept of Motor Vehicles website.

“The New York State Donate LifeSM Registry for Organ and Tissue Donations

The NYS Donate LifeSM registry, a new donor registry to begin in July 2008, includes only individuals who have signed a consent certification to be organ and tissue donors upon their death. Family consent is not required for donors who have already given their signed legal consent for donation.”

I had signed the back of my license & registered years ago, so when I went to double check, I started at the DMV. Eventually I ended up at this site
www.health.state.ny.us/professionals/patients/donation/organ/ where you can get the forms necessary.

Donate Life Celebrates Milestone of 100 Million Organ Donors - New National Goal is 20 Million More in 2012

2011-10-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

Donate Life America Announces Significant Milestone Achieved with 100 Millionth Organ, Eye and Tissue Donor Registered in the U.S.

New national goal set to register 20 million more by the end of 2012

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Donate Life America (DLA) announced today that a key goal set by the donation and transplant community in 2006 was achieved this month. The United States can now boast that 100 million Americans -- roughly 42 percent of the adult population -- are registered as organ, eye and tissue donors in state donor registries.

Growth in the number of registered donors is vital because the need for transplants continues to rise. More than 112,000 people are currently waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Thousands more await tissue transplants to resume their normal lives. Last year, more than 28,000 people received organ transplants, more than 40,000 received corneal transplants and hundreds of thousands received tissue transplants, yet 6,590 died awaiting organ transplants. A surge in the number of donors is necessary to save more lives. Therefore, as the donation and transplant community celebrates the accomplishment of registering 100 million people, work has already begun to reach the new national goal of registering 20 million new donors by the end of 2012. Twenty million additional donors would result in saving thousands more lives each year. The public is encouraged to register by visiting www.donatelife.net.

"At a time when we as a nation have difficulty finding common ground on many important issues, 100 million people have agreed on their desire to save lives by registering as donors. They are hope for all of the men, women and children in need of lifesaving transplants today. For that, we say thank you," says David Fleming, President and CEO, Donate Life America. "While this achievement speaks volumes about the generosity of human beings, more work needs to be done to motivate Americans to register and save the lives of those in need."

In 2006, DLA launched the Donor Designation Collaborative (DDC) as a nationwide effort to improve organ, eye and tissue donation rates. A main tactic for achieving the DDC's goals is ensuring that each state has an effective system for allowing individuals to legally designate themselves as donors. Since the DDC's launch, there has been a 45 percent increase in the number of designated donors in the United States.

On average, nearly 8 million people join a state donor registry each year; a majority (97 percent) joins through state departments of motor vehicles (DMV's). Therefore, DLA builds strong relationships with many DMV officials throughout the nation to encourage education and training of their staff to help them better advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation.

"I am proud to witness meeting such a milestone in organ and tissue donor history," says Jesse White, the Illinois Secretary of State. "Our ultimate goal is to see that all Americans become registered organ and tissue donors."
As the DDC works to increase the number of donors, the high percentage of registrations through DMV's poses a new challenge to overcome. The majority of state donor registries were created nearly a decade ago. Once a registry goes through its first driver's license/ID card renewal cycle (ranging from every 4 to every 12 years depending on the state), new designated donors come from only three sources – first-time drivers, new residents, and current residents who previously elected not to register. This maturity factor decreases the ability to sustain high donation rates through DMV efforts alone-- a fact that necessitates new strategies to promote registrations.

"As we lay the foundation to register an additional 20 million people by the end of 2012, we are developing strategies to overcome the obstacles presented by maturing registries. We are not deterred by the challenges ahead," says Donate Life America Chairperson, Helen W. Bottenfield. "Our primary goal is to preserve human life and improve the quality of life for those in need of organ, corneal and tissue transplants. We will remain focused and find creative ways to reach, educate and motivate those who have not yet registered as donors."

As of June 30, 2011, data reported by Donate Life America state teams revealed 42 percent of U.S. adults (age 18 and older) are registered as organ, eye and tissue donors. States with the highest percentage included: Alaska and Montana (78 percent each) and Washington (74 percent).

The public is encouraged to join the 100 million individuals already registered as organ, eye and tissue donors by visiting www.donatelife.net and registering today.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/donate-life-america-announces-significant-milestone-achieved-with-100-millionth-organ-eye-and-tissue-donor-registered-in-the-us-131512003.html

(photo provided by Donate Life Hollywood)

Articles of Interest Weekly Roundup

2011-10-08T17:28:00.006-05:00

How to Encourage People to Become Organ Donors: An Incentive System with Heart

Click for Article

Presumed Consent Plan: Wales Supplies More Organ Donors

Click for Article

Timing Can Be Everything in Organ Donation

Click for Article

Concerns Over New Organ Donor Guidelines Overblown

Click for Article

Female Organ Donors in Australia Outnumber Males 2:1

Click for Article

Want to register as an Organ Donor

2011-10-08T16:45:00.002-05:00

Do you want to register as an Organ Donor in your area? Not sure how to go about it?

The Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life are available for consultation in this matter. Either reply to our discussion forum topic dedicated to this issue on our Facebook page, or send us an email with your area & country of residence, and we will endeavour to find the information for you.

Facebook Discussion Forum Topic Link

Send Email

Comedy Show to help support Donate Life

2011-09-04T14:36:00.003-05:00

With thanks to Glenn Matsuki for the original text, taken from:

http://donatelife-organdonation.blogspot.com/2011/08/1st-annual-donate-life-comedy-show.html

Please join us for an evening of laughter at our 1st Annual Donate Life Comedy Show on Sunday, September 18th at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach, California! Tickets are on sale as of today and 100% of the ticket proceeds benefit the Donate Life Run/Walk!

Please download and pass the attached flyer on to friends and family and invite them to come out to support Donate Life and share an evening of laugh together! To purchase tickets click here:

http://www.itsmyseat.com/RunWalk

We thank you for your support and all you do to inspire the community to donate life and hope to see you at the show!

By the way, the 2012 Donate Life Run/Walk we understand is scheduled for Saturday, April 28, 2012 @ CalState Fullerton. SAVE THE DATE!

Happy Birthday to Alex O'Loughlin for August 24th 2011

2011-08-29T00:59:00.008-05:00

2009:

The Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life group is founded with the goal to raise awareness of organ donation, and increase donor numbers.

Hundreds participate in 'Three Rivers' online viewing parties organised by the Fans of Three Rivers Organ Donor Campaign, and pledge to become organ donors.

2010:

Alex fans worldwide sign up as organ donors in their respective countries to mark Alex's 34th birthday.

Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life affiliates, German Alex O'Loughlin Fanclub, and Alex O'Loughlin dot Org fansite, raise a combined total of just over a $1000 for Donate Life.

A voting blitz, organised by the Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life, ensures that Alex receives Donate Life Hollywood's Person of the Year award.

Fans from all over the worldwide unite to wish Alex a Merry Christmas, and raise over $1500 by dedicating roses in Alex's honour, as part of the Donate Life Rose Parade.

http://www.alexoloughlinfansfordonatelife.com/2010/11/merry-christmas-alex-fans-all-over.html

2011:

Our work continues....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!

Happy Birthday Messages from Alex Fans.

(originally posted on the Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life Facebook page)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-OLoughlin-Fans-for-Donate-Life/105960199424446

From Anita LaVenia

From Silvan Nowicki

Dima Imreish: Happy Birthday Alex ♥ Enjoy it, love you

MJ's Cave: Happy Birthday Alex, wishing you peace love and happiness xx

Donna Mezza: Happy Birthday Alex, much love to you ♥

Melodie Luciano: Happy Birthday Alex, have a good day ♥

Marilena Monopoly: There are several reasons that make my life pleasant...YOU are one of the most important: Happy Birthday ALEX

Kelly Ann: Happy birthday to you Alex =) You've had such a great year, and life, and your dedication to helping such charities at Donate Life and your passion for health and fitness have been inspirational. All the best for H50 and all your future endeavours.

Eva Joyce Bouchard: Happy birthday!

Alena Dietschmann: Happy Birthday Alex,i hope it'll be an awesome day for you ;) I wish you a Year full with peace,joy, happiness and lots of Love ;)

Neenah Spellman: Happy Birthday to us - tomorrow 08/24!

Teri Gray Yamasaki: Hau`oli lā hanau ia Alex!

Maria Christina Varano-Gallo: Happy 35th. May this year continue to bring you new and exciting adventures.

Susie Silvers: Happy Birthday Alex.

Brigitte Powalka: Happy birthday my dear !!! Have a sweet day !! ♥

Sandra Ronca: wish the best birthday ever to the most talented and sexy actor!!!!love you mister alex loughlin!!!!really wish a beautiful birthday!!!!!

Rishi O'loughlin: Happy Birthday Alex .... May god bless you

Jacqueleen Becerra-Guevara: Happy Birthday Alex! Hope you had an amazing day ♥

Nardia McPhee: Happy Birthday Alex! From everyone here from where you are from Down Under. We ♥ you! Hope you have a great one! And here's to another 35 years

Melinda Lawrence: happy b-day 2 u

Karen Angela Joy Bowden: Happy Birthday Alex! Wishing you all the best for your birthday, hope you are surrounded today by all your loved one's and celebrate in the only way us Aussies know how! PARTY PARTY PARTY!!!!! All the best Alex for a long and prosperous career and life! Love all your fan's back here in Oz

Ann Turner: Sending special birthday wishes out in the ethos for you Alex, I hope you have a truly special and magical day, I hope it is a day full of fun, happiness and lots of love &I hope you get to spend it with family, loved ones and friends. Whatever you do and however, you spend ur day be happy. My birthday wishes for you are health, happiness, love and peace, I hope all ur dreams come true sending you big birthday hugs & kisses x x x

Cristina Fuentes: Felicidadesssssss

Beth Liveringhouse: Happy Birthday Alex. I hope your day is filled with family, friends, fun and laughter. Have a fantastic day!!! :)

Enzo Leguizamon Garcia: Happy Birthday Alex!!! Enjoy another year!!! God bless U, enjoy this special day with Family, Friends!! I hope you and the Hawaii Five-0 crew have a good time celebrating!!!... :D

V. Sri Kalaivanee: Happy birthday.......hope u have enjoyed ur day with ur H50 team....:)

Aasmaan Anuraag: Happy birthday Alex!! God bless your heart and may you enjoy your day with the ones around you!

Regina Sorgini: Happy Birthday Alex! Continue following your dream.

The Power Of Two Film Attracts Hollywood's Attention

2011-08-23T07:31:00.002-05:00

The Power Of Two Film hits the Oscar qualifying circuit, with its selection for DocuWeeks.

"The Power of Two," a feature documentary on twin sisters with cystic fibrosis, has been selected for a prestigious Oscar-qualifying documentary showcase and has captured the attention of Hollywood at Los Angeles screenings this week.

The powerful movie illustrates the intimate bond between Anabel Stenzel and Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, half-Japanese twin sisters who have survived double-lung transplants and emerged as authors, athletes and advocates for organ donation and those living with CF in the United States and Japan.

"The Power of Two" has been selected for DocuWeeks, the Oscar-qualifying documentary showcase presented by the International Documentary Association. Following a week-long run in Los Angeles (August 19-25), the film will screen 14 times during the week of August 26-September 1 at the IFC Center in New York.

“The Power Of Two” is the feature directorial debut from Academy Award nominated filmmaker Marc Smolowitz ("The Weather Underground" and "Trembling Before G-d") and was produced by Twin Triumph Productions.

For screening times and more information, please follow this link:

http://esiason.org/index.php/bef/blog_post/power-of-two-documentary-hits-oscar-qualifying-circuit

The Power Of Two - World Premiere

2011-08-19T12:31:00.003-05:00

Via The Power of Two World Premiere Facebook event page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=185990038131874

Starting Friday, Aug. 19th, the official world premiere & one week Oscar-qualifying theatrical run for THE POWER OF TWO -- the new documentary feature film directed and produced by Marc Smolowitz.

Help us pack the house for this world premiere engagement - especially on opening weekend, so we can unleash the long term distribution prospects for this signature film that is poi...sed to change hearts and minds about organ donation & transplantation.

INFORMATION: http://www.ThePowerOfTwoMovie.com/DocuWeeks

---------

- SCREENING TIMES -

Laemmle Sunset 5 - 8000 Sunset Blvd. - West Hollywood
Online Tickets: http://bit.ly/Po2Laemmle

Friday, Aug. 19 - 12:15 p.m. - 7:20 p.m.**

Saturday, Aug. 20 - 4:55 p.m.** - 9:45 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 21 - 12:15 p.m. - 4:35 p.m.**

Monday, Aug. 22 - 12:15 p.m.** - 7:20 p.m

Tuesday, Aug. 23 - 4:55 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 24 - 12:15 p.m. - 7:20 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 25 - 12:15 p.m. - 7:20 p.m.

**Indicates filmmakers & talent in attendance for Q&A

---------

SYNOPSIS -- THE POWER OF TWO offers an intimate portrayal of the bond between half-Japanese twin sisters Anabel Stenzel and Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, their lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF), survival through miraculous double lung transplants, and improbable emergence as authors, athletes, and advocates for organ donation and those suffering from CF in the U.S. and Japan.

You Can Help Save A Life Right Now

2011-07-21T12:45:00.004-05:00

(picture and banner text taken from http:/matchforbarbara.com)

Organ donation is more than just hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys. Every year bone marrow donors are needed to save the lives of people like Barbie.

Barbie Ho is a loving wife to Keahi Tucker, and mother to three young boys. Her friends and family are all praying that she received the Bone Marrow Donation she so desperately needs to save her life. Please help support this life saving mission however you can.

Become a Bone Marrow Donor For Barbie Ho:

http://matchforbarbara.com/post/7643201200/become-a-bone-marrow-donor

The first priority is to find a bone marrow match as soon as possible and by the end of July. Because we are under strict time pressures, we are opting to focus on getting potential donors tested via a blood test.

Who is the ideal prospective donor?

Individuals with a mix of Japanese, Japanese Okinawan and Chinese ancestry are the ideal match. The donor bank for this particular profile is extremely low, so please help us spread the word. We are so deeply grateful.

What should a prospective donor do?

Please email matchforbarbara@gmail.com with your contact information (name, email address, phone number, ethnicity, gender). You will be contacted should follow up be required.

Should I still register via a public drive if I am not an ideal prospective donor?

Yes. We want to encourage everyone to register to increase Barbara’s chances of finding a match. Registering only takes 10 minutes and requires no blood, just a simple cotton swab of the mouth. To find out more about the bone marrow transplant process, please see here.

Here are 2 easy ways to register:

1. In Person — Attend a Drive.

When you come to a donor drive, a representative will explain what it means to become a donor, help you understand your commitment, answer your questions and help you through the process. You will then give a small blood sample or swab of cheek cells to be tested for your tissue type, and this information is added to the Registry.

What To Do/Bring

All you need to do is: (1) complete a registration form with contact information, healthy history questions and a signed agreement to join the registry and (2) give either a swab of cheek cells or a blood sample so your tissue type can be tested. To help you complete the form, bring along: (a) personal identification (such as a driver’s license or passport), (b) contact information for two family members or friends who would know how to reach you in the future if your address changes.

2. Home Mail Kit

If you are a minority in the US, you can order a test kit here.

Do You Have Anymore Questions?

Further information can be found via these links

http://www.marrow.org/DONOR/When_You_re_Asked_to_Donate_fo/Steps_of_Donation/index.html

http://www.bonemarrow.org/resources/transplant_centers.html

http://www.psbc.org/programs/marrow.htm

Celebrating a new Donate Life Ambassador: DEb, founder of the "Long Legs O'Loughlin" fan network!

2011-07-14T13:36:00.006-05:00

(DEb is the Ambassador wearing the black Donate Life Hollywood T-shirt)

Congratulations to DEb (purpldy) on becoming a Donate Life Ambassador! Her training took place at OneLegacy, her local Donate Life chapter.

DEb is the founder and one of the admins of the "Long Legs O'Loughlin" (LLOL) fan network with many hundreds of members from all over the world.

Brad Ellis is Donate Life Hollywood's Person of the Year 2011

2011-06-24T16:07:00.004-05:00

"Glee" pianist and heart transplant recipient Brad Ellis with his well deserved award.

2011 Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Awards

2011-06-23T10:44:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful time at the Donate Life Hollywood Awards! A truly inspiring night at the historic Avalon Theater, Lesley and I were privileged to be there representing Alex O'Loughlin Fans and Donate Life Ambassadors. There were laughs and there were many tears, all celebrating the "Gift of Life". Thanks to Tenaya Wallace for allowing us to partake in this great event!

2012 Donate Life Rose Parade Float - Press Release

2011-06-17T07:40:00.003-05:00

2012 Donate Life Rose Parade® Float Imagines ...One More Day to Celebrate
and Save Lives

Amid Beautiful Floral Timepieces and a 30-Foot Clock Tower, Organ, Eye and Tissue Donors and Recipients Reinforce the Preciousness of Time

LOS ANGELES, CA, June 14, 2011 -- Ask anyone whose loved one gave life in their passing, or anyone waiting for a life-saving organ transplant what they wish for most. Many would answer the same way: more time. On Jan. 2, 2012, transplant recipients, living donors, and family members of deceased donors will join together to honor the preciousness of ...One More Day on the ninth Donate Life Rose Parade float entry, a partnership of more than 100 organizations dedicated to inspiring people to save and heal lives through the donation of organs, eyes and tissue.

"Donate Life's float theme is a deeply emotional coda to the 2012 Rose Parade theme, Just Imagine...", said Bryan Stewart, chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float Committee and vice president of communications at OneLegacy, the nonprofit organ and tissue recovery organization serving the greater Los Angeles area. "The opportunity to live, or relive, a precious moment in time inspires us to Just Imagine...One More Day when donor families are reunited with loved ones, transplant recipients thrive, and living and registered donors step forward so that a life-saving transplant is available to everyone in need."

With a design inspired by floral clocks and clock towers from around the world, the 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade float will carry up to 28 donor family members, living donors, and transplant recipients. Six enormous floral timepieces will be adorned with 64 memorial "floragraphs" (floral portraits) of deceased donors whose gifts gave life and time to so many. A rose dedication garden honors more than 3,000 people worldwide; each rose will bear a vial with a personal message honoring a loved one. Anchoring the float is a 30-foot clock tower with a sun/moon dial reminding us to make each passing day count.

The Donate Life Rose Parade float has become the nation's most visible campaign to inspire people to become organ, eye, and tissue donors. The concept originated with lung recipient Gary Foxen of Orange, Calif., who wanted to express gratitude to donors who make transplantation possible. Now, in addition to the 40 million viewers who will see the Rose Parade, dozens of events are held in cities and towns around the country to put the finishing touches on floragraph portraits and present dedicated roses to donor families. This last year alone, the Donate Life float generated more than 500 media stories nationwide.

"Since the Donate Life float made its first appearance in 2004, more than 50 million Americans have signed up as donors on their state donor registries," said David Fleming, president and CEO of Donate Life America. "However, the circumstances that allow for organ donation are very rare, so just as every day counts, so does every donation opportunity. We hope that anyone who has not yet registered will be inspired by Donate Lifeâ€™s float to join the 100 million Americans who have checked 'Yes' for donation when applying for or renewing their driver's license or identification card."

The 2012 Donate Life float is built by Phoenix Decorating Co. from a design by Dave Pittman and is coordinated by Donate Life America member OneLegacy. The Donate Life float campaign is supported by more than 100 official sponsorsfrom coast to coast, including organ and tissue recovery organizations, tissue banks, state donor registries, transplant centers, hospitals, funeral homes and affiliated organizations. Joining OneLegacy as top-level benefactors are the Dignity Memorial® network, North America's largest network of funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers; the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB); Donate Life America; and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and the National Donor Memorial. All Donate Life float sponsors encourage parade viewers to save lives by registering in their states to be organ, eye and tissue donors and donating blood in their communities.

For information call Rivian Bell, JDI Communications, (213) 612-4927 or Bryan Stewart, (213) 229-5650.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose ParadeÂ® presented by Honda, Rose Bowl GameÂ® presented by VIZIO and various associated events. The 123rd Rose Parade presented by Honda, themed Just Imagineâ€¦, will take place Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, at 8 a.m. (PST) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands. Following the parade, the 98th Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO will kick off at 2:10 p.m. and feature an exciting match-up between two of the top collegiate football teams in the nation. For additional information on the Tournament of Roses please visit the official website at www.tournamentofroses.com.

CHRIS KLUG FOUNDATION newsletter June 2011

2011-06-11T06:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Summer! We're kicking this newsletter off by announcing the newest member to the CKF team, Donor Dudette Bali April Klug (like the Island). She is 7 weeks and 2 days old today and growing famously! Chris and Missy Klug are proud and happy new parents of their first baby born on April 12, National Donate Life Month. Chris says Bali is good at sleeping, eating, traveling, smiling and she likes watching sports on TV (Especially the Rockies). Congratulations Chris and Missy!

In our last newsletter we dove right into news for National Donate Life Month. CKF hosted five awareness events in April in addition to five separate Donor Dude events lead by supporting representatives across the nation. Those events included Rowan University's 19th Annual Organ Donor Day, Carroll University's Campus Donor Day, Lajunta Public Library Donor Awareness Month, University of Omaha's National Organ Donor Awareness Campaign and Dialysis Clinic Inc., held a Donor Education Event in Massachusetts. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who embraced the gift of Life during National Donate Life Month and shared your decision with others.

Whether you have been following CKF for years or this is your first newsletter, we appreciate your interest and support. Remember we are here to help anyway we can. Thank you for partnering with us to help those awaiting a second chance at life. We wish you a fun filled summer!

The Team at CKF

The Chris Klug Foundation is dedicated to promoting lifesaving organ donation and improving quality of life for donors, donor families, organ transplant candidates and recipients.

Check us out online for all the latest updates and info:
www.facebook.com/chrisklugfoundation
http://twitter.com/donordudes
http://www.youtube.com/chrisklugfoundation

DONATE TO THE CHRIS KLUG FOUNDATION:

Please log on and consider a charitable donation to the Chris Klug Foundation, so we can continue our donor awareness outreach across the country. Every bit helps! Click here to donate

DONOR DUDES SHOUT OUTS!

Recognizing Awesome Organ Donor Ambassadors!

Time for Donor Dudes Shout Outs! There are so many people out there sharing their donor or transplant experience, fundraising to support life-saving donation, and promoting our Donor Dudes program! Share your stories with us and we will pass them along to our supporters. This particular story not only speaks to the world of organ & tissue donation but provided the Chris Klug Foundation (CKF) with a powerful experience we will cherish forever.

On April 11 CKF executive director received a text message from Chris Klug (who was at the hospital with his wife in labor) asking her to call a woman name Sue Peters immediately; Sue was in search of Donor Dudes materials on a strict time crunch. Without hesitation Sue was contacted. She shared with us that her 18 year old son, Dylan Peters, an aspiring young man and a very talented snowboarder, had recently died in a car accident. Sue also shared that she had visited our Donor Dudes booth and had the pleasure of meeting Chris at the 2010 United States Snowboard Association Nationals (where Dylan was the National Champion in the Jr. Men’s Slopestyle Division). Sue said “Chris’s story is so inspiring and all the educational materials at the booth really drove home the message for me. When we knew Dylan wouldn’t survive his accident, there was never any question in our minds after all I had learned about Chris and Donor Dudes.” She asked if it was possible to overnight our donor awareness materials so they could be displayed at Dylan’s celebration of life. In the midst of this tragedy, the Peters family took time to help others and make sure everyone there for Dylan (over 800 people) knew that he donated 5 organs, saved 4 lives and will enhance many more through tissue donation.

A month after Dylan’s passing, Sue shared that because of Dylan’s story numerous people have told her that their minds have been changed about organ donation and they have since registered. Countless numbers of kids throughout the Peters' Northern Vermont/New Hampshire communities had the donor discussion with their parents. In addition, several of Dylan’s coaches indicated they would sign up, or proudly showed the heart already on their licenses.

“People keep asking how we were able to make this life saving gift on Dylan’s behalf at such a time of crisis for our family. I can’t emphasize enough that it really was all due to Chris’ outreach efforts. We lost a dear friend of Dylan’s, another rider, Sam Cohn, four years ago and he was a donor, but the message really sunk in when we saw the Donor Dudes booth at the ’10 USASA Nationals and had the opportunity to meet Chris."

On behalf of the Chris Klug Foundation, our sincere thoughts go out to the Peters family. Thank you for following through with Dylan’s decision to be an organ & tissue donor. Not only that, but for taking another step in educating your friends and family about the cause. We also wish the four individuals who received a second chance at life a speedy recovery and a healthy life ahead! Thank you to Sue Peters for allowing us to share this story with all of you. And thank you, Dylan for being a hero. If you're interested in checking out a short clip of Dylan’s snowboarding steeze, the Peters family would like to share it with you! Dylan Peter's Art of Snowboarding Fund

VIDEO PROJECT

Know the Facts, Share your Decision:

The number keeps climbing! Our video is now in the hands of 508 teachers, instructors and presenters! Our most recent additions to the video list includes EVERY DRIVER EDUCATION SCHOOL IN THE STATE OF COLORADO (A total of 118) as well as 60 driver education schools in Maine and 26 more in Idaho! CKF is thrilled with this momentum and we hope to have another substantial update for you in the next August newsletter.

Targeted at health and drivers education classes, the video showcases the importance of knowing the facts about organ donation to make an informed, educated decision, and being sure to share that decision with your family. The video also promotes quality of life post transplant, and the importance of being healthy and active. The response from teachers and students who have seen the video has been tremendous! One driver education teacher at Gem High School in Idaho shared "The video hit these kids pretty hard. The attention of the class was higher for this video than any others I showed this year." Perhaps you know someone in the health/teaching community or a driver's ed. instructor? We encourage you to tell them about the video. You can view the trailer here! Know the Facts, Share your Decision

If you are interested in getting a copy of the video to share with your school, sports team, club, church or workplace, please visit the CKF website to learn more about the project and how to secure your free copy.

RECENT EVENTS

Tailgate Alaska in Valdez, Alaska

Tailgate Alaska took place with the help of one superstar volunteer Amanda Greenwood who took the lead of representing our foundation at this popular backcountry snowboarding event. It was terrific! The message of organ donation and our Donor Dudes program was received well by the event attendees. According to Life Alaska Donor Services, the donor registry rate in the state of Alaska is 56%, one of the highest in the nation. We hope our efforts there will help increase that percentage.

Beat Coach Pete Boise, ID

Beat Coach Pete Scholarship Run was great new exposure in Idaho with over 2,000 people who participated in the 5k run/walk! Despite rainy weather the Donor Dudes team was still able to interact with many people and get the foundation's name and message out to the Boise community. The majority of individuals we talked to already supported the idea of organ donation, in fact Idaho has one of the highest percentages of registered donors. For those who weren't familiar with the topic, information was provided so they could read about the impact and hopefully register.

Future Business Leaders of America Vail, CO

Future Business Leaders of America (FLBA) was a fantastic event for Donor Dudes! We were able to recruit new Donor Dude candidates, promote the video to teachers and we registered 3 new organ & tissue donors! CKF volunteer Eric Marshall and our executive director spoke to 200 plus high school students about organ donation. A handful really liked the idea of hosting their own donor awareness event at their school for a senior project next year! We hope to have the opportunity to be a part of another FBLA event in the future.

MAVS Have Heart Grand Junction, CO

MAVS Have Heart took place in the heart of Mesa State College campus. CKF teamed up with Donor Alliance to bring donor awareness to thousands of students. We were thrilled to meet those in attendance who had been inspired by organ donation in their own lives. Many transplant recipients with powerful stories came to support the cause. One Mesa State student who has had a heart transplant came by to say hello and share her story. She is doing great with her new heart! Another gentlemen shared that he was a liver recipient who was inspired to follow through with the transplant after reading Chris's success story. He is forever grateful for his donor and his second chance. Not only were personal stories shared but we also watched our educational video. A woman who attended the event decided the video would be a good fit for their middle school kids camp that attracts students interested in a health career!

In addition to the MAVS Have Heart Event on April 21st, Donor Alliance had great success during the month of April at the Mesa State Student Center. Each Wednesday they set up their donor designation station. After 5 days on campus they were proud to say they spoke to over 800 students and registered 22 new donors! A big thanks to all of our fantastic volunteers in the Grand Junction community and beyond for helping with these events. Thank you Donor Alliance and Mesa State College! We were so grateful to have the opportunity to meet everyone at MAVS Have Heart.

Idaho Driver Education Conference Boise, ID

Idaho Drivers Ed Conference on May 2 brought in 300 driver education instructors from the state of Idaho and beyond. CKF was there to promote our educational video “Know the Facts, Share your Decision”. We were able to hand out 26 videos to instructors in the state of Idaho and one from Wyoming. We are very grateful to provide them with the tools they need to do cover this topic with their students.

Aspen Young Professionals Association Aspen, CO
Aspen Young Professional Association hosted a Non-Profit fair on Thursday, May 19 that featured local foundations showcasing the work they do in Pitkin County and beyond. It was a great experience to see hundreds of Aspen’s young adults there learning about the non-profit opportunities available for volunteers hours, outreach projects, career options, etc. Thanks to Henry, Bob, CK and baby Bali for staffing the Donor Dudes booth!
UPCOMING EVENTS

Subaru Elephant Rock Ride Castle Rock, CO

Chris Klug Foundation supports the American Transplant Foundation’s charity cycling team for the Subaru Elephant Rock Ride on Sunday, June 5th in Castle Rock, Colorado! Recipients, living donors, donor family members, and supporters alike are joining Team Transplant to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation. Team Transplant will ride to prove that both transplant recipients and living donors can lead healthy, active lives after receiving or giving the Gift of Life! This event has courses for cyclists of all abilities with seven, 32, 62, and 100 mile road courses and a 25 mile off-road course. Required fundraising is just $100. To learn more and to join the team, visit the American Transplant Foundation

Donor Dash

For the third year in a row, CKF will take part in the 12th Annual Donor Dash in Denver, CO. Donor Dash is Donor Alliance's signature 5k run/walk honoring the lives of organ and tissue donors, celebrating the lives of organ and tissue recipients and recognizing those who are awaiting a life-saving transplant. The event will take place in Denver's historic Washington Park on Sunday, July 17. Not only will we have a Donor Dudes booth, but we will also have a Donor Dudes team participating in the run! Let us know if you are interested in joining the team. You can learn more about the event here.

Vans Warped Tour

SAVE THE DATES! Donor Dudes is hitting the road with the Vans Warped Tour again this summer! We get our punk music groove on starting in Denver, CO on August 5 followed by Salt Lake City, UT August 6, Carson, CA August 10, Nampa, ID August 12 and Hillsboro, OR August 14. These events are big, loud and fun! They are a great avenue to talk to hundreds of young people about the importance of organ donation. We will need volunteer help at all of these stops. Who's in?!

Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race Leadville, CO

One of the values of our foundation is to promote that transplant recipients can live normal, healthy and active lifestyles post transplant. Chris Klug is the ultimate example of that. While we don't expect everyone to attempt the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race (with or without a transplant), we are very proud to say that Chris is taking on this mammoth ride for the 2nd year in a row as the only organ recipient to ever complete the course! Along side Chris will be three other Donor Dudes, Tom Hughes, Tiziano Gortan and Ian Metcalf will represent CKF. Also riding are CKF board members Gary Albert and Jon Gibans. Look for the red and yellow CKF bike jerseys! As always, part of our Donor Dudes team will be there to support Chris and slap donor dudes stickers on the all the bike helmets we see. Good Luck Chris!

U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge

SAVE THE DATES! We are very excited to announce that CKF will be part of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge this August! The world's best cyclists will form 16 teams who will attack terrain unlike anything else in the world over the course of seven days. You can find our Donor Dudes booth on the third day of the race in Aspen on August 24, and then again on the final day in Denver on August 28. Our foundation will be located in the FESTIVAL in both cities, educating spectators about organ donation in a fun and unique way that cycling enthusiasts can relate to. See you in August!

Vote for 2011 Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year

The Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year Award is given annually by the organ and tissue donation community to honor individuals in the entertainment industry who have worked to inspire people to save lives as organ and tissue donors. Nominees for 2011 Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year are:

Jack Black has been a part of the Renal Support Network’s Renal Teen Prom for the past two years. Grizz Chapman from “30 Rock” is a kidney recipient and supports kidney disease awareness through the National Kidney Foundation. Brad Ellis the piano player in “Glee” is a heart recipient and sits on the advisory committee for the documentary “The Power of Two.” He also likely inspired the “Glee” story line on organ donation! Ann Lopez is the living kidney donor to comedian George Lopez and was a float participant in the 2011 Donate Life Rose Parade Float on New Year’s Day. Ryan Merriman plays a the brother of an organ donor in the independent film “The 5th Quarter” and has long supported organ and tissue donation. Online voting runs through June 16. Become a fan of Donate Life Hollywood on Facebook to vote

DID YOU KNOW: (Courtesy of Donate Life America)

Fact: One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance more than 50 lives through tissue donation.

Fact: There are currently 111,502 people currently on the national transplant waiting list.

Fact: Signing a donor card and a driver's license with an "organ donor" designation may not satisfy your state's requirements to become a donor. Be sure to take the necessary steps to be a donor and ensure that your family understands your wishes.

Dudes, these are some pretty eye-opening facts! Here is how you can do your part:

Educate yourself and your friends on the facts about organ and tissue donation. Work to spread the word in a cool way at your school or in your community.
Each state is different in terms of how you properly register to be a donor. LOG ON to find out what your state requires, and follow the necessary steps.
Be sure to share your decision with your family, and encourage your friends to do the same.
Together we can eliminate the wait!

GET INVOLVED:

We understand many of you are in the thick of school and work right now, but perhaps it's possible to squeeze in some community volunteer hours? Did you know that you may be able to fulfill your Senior Project, community service, or club requirements through volunteering or hosting your own Donor Dudes Event? Be sure to get out there and GET ACTIVE! Start planning your Donor Dudes event NOW and be sure to grab some friends and spread the word in your own way!

Be a Donor Dude on your Campus:

Check out the tools in our DONOR DUDES KIT! Be sure to log on, download, and use them in your next event: DONOR DUDES TOOL KIT

We can provide you with all the help you need to host a successful and LIFE-SAVING event! We can provide cool event swag including stickers, donor cards, pins, as well as a ”HOW TO” guide to make your event a hit, and much more! Let us know how we can help you plan and pull off your donation activities. WE ARE HERE TO HELP! But, be sure to share the news and photos with us-you might even make the next newsletter.

Jenny Marshall
Executive Director
Chris Klug Foundation
www.chrisklugfoundation.org
970.216.2511

Donate Life Australia to launch new campaign this Sunday

2011-06-11T01:01:00.005-05:00

The latest phase of Donate Life Australia's 'Ok' campaign will be launched this Sunday. It aims to promote awareness of the need for all Australian's to inform their loved ones of their decision to be an Organ Donor. Remember, by law in Australia it is your next of kin who are required to give their final consent in the event of organ or tissue donation.

Research commissioned by the Organ and Tissue Authority indicates that 1 in 3 Australians do not know how to start a conversation about organ and tissue donation with their family.

(From www.donatelife.gov.au)

“It is a concern that 40% of Australians don't know the donation wishes of their loved ones. Family knowledge of each other's organ and tissue donation wishes is essential if we are to increase Australia's family consent rate, which is currently less than 60%,”

"Many Australians are unaware of the fact that even if you registered to be an organ and tissue donor, it is your next of kin that will be asked to confirm your donation wishes and give the OK for donation to proceed."

While broaching the topic of organ and tissue donation with family members can be sensitive, the new DonateLife ‘Know their wishes, OK?’ campaign helps to normalise the conversation.

“We encourage every Australian to have a conversation with their loved ones today about each other’s donation wishes.”

The Power of Two - Movie Premiere - Save the Date!

2011-06-07T13:00:00.003-05:00

Person of the Year 2011 Award Voting - Donate Life Hollywood

2011-05-17T09:21:00.007-05:00

|May 17, 2011| by Sabine Atkins

Voting is now open for the 2011 Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year Award!

To cast your vote, please visit:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/poy2011

Alex O'Loughlin received the award last year for his outstanding work on the CBS TV series "Three Rivers" (subsequently he also became the first celebrity Donate Life Ambassador recruited by Donate Life Hollywood).

This year's celebrity nominees again show us how important the powerful voices of public figures are when it comes to the life-saving cause of organ donation.

My personal favorite nominee is Brad Ellis, the pianist in the successful FOX TV series "Glee". Each time he appears during a musical performance by the "Glee" cast, no matter whether it is a ballad or an up-beat dance number, Brad and his silent humor in addition to his nuanced play make me smile.

Brad is a heart transplant recipient, and it is hard to find a recipient who is more thankful for his second chance in life. He pays the gift of life forward not only with his wonderful music in "Glee" but also by being a truly genuine, gracious human being in real life.

Learn more about the other nominees in this press release from Donate Life Hollywood:

VOTE FOR 2011 DONATE LIFE HOLLYWOOD PERSON OF THE YEAR!

· Jack Black has been a part of the Renal Support Network’s Renal Teen Prom for the past two years.

· Grizz Chapman from “30 Rock” is a kidney recipient and supports kidney disease awareness through the National Kidney Foundation.

· Brad Ellis the piano player in “Glee” is a heart recipient and sits on the advisory committee for the documentary “The Power of Two.” He also likely inspired the “Glee” storyline on organ donation!

· Ann Lopez is the living kidney donor to comedian George Lopez and was a float participant in the 2011 Donate Life Rose Parade Float on New Year’s Day

· Ryan Merriman plays a the brother of an organ donor in the independent film “The 5^th Quarter” and has long supported organ and tissue donation.

Online voting runs from May 16 through June 16. Become a fan of Donate Life Hollywood on Facebook to vote! http://on.fb.me/jSEnz5

Please tell your Facebook friends about the vote with this status update:

FACEBOOK STATUS

Vote today for the 2011 Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year! Nominees are Jack Black, Grizz Chapman, Brad Ellis, Ann Lopez and Ryan Merriman. Become a fan of Donate Life Hollywood on Facebook to learn more about the nominees and to vote! http://on.fb.me/jSEnz5

The winner will be announced at the Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Awards event on June 22 at the Avalon Theatre in Hollywood, CA.

(image: Brad Ellis and me at the Donate Life Hollywood cocktail party 2010. I'm the owner of this image.)

Donate Life Hollywood Announces 2011 Person of the Year Celebrity Nominees

2011-05-14T08:38:00.007-05:00

Celebrating Hollywood’s support for organ and tissue donation, Donate Life Hollywood will host the third annual Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Awards on June 22^nd.

Television episodes, films and celebrities will be honored at the event, hosted at Hollywood’s historic Avalon Theatre.

The Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year Award is given annually by the organ and tissue donation community to honor individuals in the entertainment industry who have given their time and talent to raise awareness about the need for organ donation, who have given hope to those on the waiting list and to those who have inspired Americans to Donate Life.

Nominees for 2011 Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year are:

· Jack Black for his support of the Renal Support Network Renal Teen Prom

· Grizz Chapman, kidney recipient, for his support of kidney disease awareness through the National Kidney Foundation

· Brad Ellis, heart recipient, for his support of the documentary “The Power of Two” and for likely inspiring the Glee storyline on organ donation

· Ann Lopez, living kidney donor, for her support of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float

· Ryan Merriman, who plays a donor-brother in the independent film “The 5^th Quarter”, for his promotion of the film

Online voting begins in mid-May. Become a fan of Donate Life Hollywood on Facebook to vote!

http://on.fb.me/jSEnz5

The Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Awards are given annually to television episodes and films featuring organ donation and transplant storylines that:

Entertained: The writers utilized organ/tissue donation and transplantation to tell an engaging and dramatic story.

Enlightened: The episode conveyed factual information about the organ/tissue donation and transplant process and did not perpetuate common donation myths.

Inspired: Viewers were left with a positive feeling about organ/tissue donation that may motivate them to sign up as donors.

This year 11 television episodes and one film rose to the top to win a Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Award

Boston Med	Episode 8
Desperate Housewives	Susan's kidney storyline
Entourage	“Buzzed”
ESPN's E:60	The Gift
Family Guy	“New Kidney in Town”
General Hospital	Jake's organ donation
Glee	“Special Education”
Grey's Anatomy	“These Arms of Mine”
The Ellen DeGeneres Show	Tara Storch Interview
The Nate Berkus Show	The Ogbuji Family
The NFL Today	Chris Henry Feature
The 5th Quarter	Independent Film

Donate Life Hollywood is a project of Donate Life America and OneLegacy designed to engage the entertainment community to inspire their fans and viewers to donate life. For more information contact campaign director Tenaya Wallace at 213-229-565 or twallace@onelegacy.org

Meet the 2011 Donate Life Hollywood

Person of the Year Nominees!

Jack Black

About Jack:

Jack is a comedian, actor and musician. He makes up one half of the comedy and satirical rock duo Tenacious D. The group has two albums as well as a television series and a film. His acting career is extensive, starring primarily as bumbling, cocky, but internally self-conscious outsiders in comedy films. He was a member of the Frat Pack, a group of comedians who have appeared together in several Hollywood films, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe award. He has also won an MTV Movie Award, and a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award.

Why Jack should be Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year:

Jack Black has wowed the teens at the RSN Annual Renal Teen Prom for two years in a row, giving a raucous presentation and taking photos with as many teens as he could. His presence at the Teen Prom, where hundreds of "kidney teens" converge in Southern California every January to experience the night of their dreams, brings laughter, joy and hope to these teens who have dealt with kidney disease for most of their young lives. Since 2000, the RSN Annual Renal Teen Prom has given these young patients the opportunity to interact with their peers - some of whom will become lifelong friends - in a nonmedical setting. http://www.rsnhope.org/programs/prom/renal_teen_prom.php

In addition, Jack has helped to support “The Power of Two,” a new documentary about twin sisters Ana and Isa Stenzel, two cultures, and two new chances at life through organ transplantation. http://www.thepoweroftwomovie.com/

Grizz Chapman

About Grizz:

Grizz Chapman, who plays Tracy Morgan's sidekick on NBC's 30 Rock, received a kidney transplant after suffering with hypertension for 13 years. The 7-ft.-tall celebrity-bodyguard-turned-actor experienced kidney failure in 2008. Undergoing dialysis three times a week, Chapman – who once weighed 505 lbs. – changed his diet and began exercising to be eligible for a kidney transplant. "I didn't want to die," he says. "I wanted to live. I wanted to be with my family and wanted to see my son grow up." Chapman also has a daughter who is in the Navy.

Why Grizz should be Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year:

Grizz has been on a crusade to raise awareness of kidney disease and the effects it has on overall health. Bringing light to the early warning signs, the risk factors and the need for early detection can help prevent people from progressing to kidney failure. Grizz Chapman started Organ Angels in support of altruistic donors, and led a team of walkers in the National Kidney Foundation annual walk in downtown Manhattan and in SEVEN other NKF walks around the nation. http://www.teamgrizz.com/

Brad Ellis

About Brad:

Brad Ellis is best known as Brad the Pianist on Fox TV’s GLEE. Fans of the show know Ellis simply as Brad, the black-clad, mad-at-the-world blond guy who sits at the piano and never says a word. What many people don’t know is that Brad has a heart transplant and is one of the most gracious and thankful men you’ll ever meet!

But Brad is much more than the accompanist on Glee. He has a wide range of television credits including The Gilmore Girls, Oprah and The 2009 Academy Awards. Brad has conducted and performed in over 6,000 recitals of more than 400 different musicals in NY, LA and internationally, and orchestrates for the LA Phil, the Hollywood Bowl and the Philadelphia Orchestras. He’s written for off-Broadway shows, been the leader on 35 albums for RCA, DRG and Varese Sarabande, and has been profiled by CNN, NPR, and People Magazine.

Why Brad should be Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year:

Brad has been open and vocal about how his heart transplant saved his life. His honesty is refreshing in Hollywood and he likely inspired the creators of Glee to include a short scene that was basically an organ donation PSA, for which they are receiving a Donate Life Hollywood Inspire Award.

Brad attended Donate Life Hollywood Film Festival’s cocktail party in 2010 to show his support for organ and tissue donation and hooked up with “The Power of Two,” a new documentary about twin sisters Ana and Isa Stenzel, two cultures, and two new chances at life through organ transplantation. Now Brad sits on their international advisory board and provides guidance and support to maximize the impact of “The Power Of Two” around the world. http://www.thepoweroftwomovie.com/

Ann Lopez

About Ann:

Ann Lopez has worked in a myriad of capacities in the entertainment industry. Five years in regional theater preceded her move to Los Angeles, where she appeared in more than 60 commercials. Now a television producer and actor, Ann's most recognized and respected role may never be in front of the cameras, as in 2005, she donated a kidney to her then-husband George Lopez.

Why Ann should be Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year:

Ann’s goal is to help garner national attention to organ donation, especially living donation, as well as education about prevention and screening for kidney disease. Ann helped launched The Lopez Foundation with the mission of donor awareness and helped to raise funds to support the Kidney Kids Camps. Additionally, Ann was a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California for five years.

For the 2011 Donate Life Rose Parade Float, Ann was the sole living donor among the float rider contingent. Chosen as one of the float’s honorary walkers, Ann was a dynamic presence in the media, among donor families decorating memorial floragraphs of their loved ones, and as emcee of the Donate Life Float Gala. Her appearances in both English (Extra!, NBC4-Los Angeles) and Spanish (CNN en Español, La Opinion, Univision Network Pre-Parade Show) language media outlets supported the float campaign’s mission to inspire people to support organ, eye and tissue donation.

Ryan Merriman

About Ryan:

At twenty-eight years of age, Ryan Merriman has eighteen years of television and film experience and has developed an extensive list of film and television credits which have enabled him to work with some of Hollywood's most respected actors. Ryan has been in 25 films, four television series and has several guest appearances to his credit.

His connection to organ donation comes in the form of the recently released feature film, “The 5th Quarter.” Ryan plays Jon, the brother of Luke Abbate, a 15 year old who in his untimely death was able to give the gift of life as an organ donor. Luke’s death inspired Jon to lead Wake Forest University to their first ever championship football season. This powerful film is based on the real-life story of the Abbate Family.

Why Ryan should be Donate Life Hollywood Person of the Year:

Promoting “The 5^th Quarter” has become not just about the film, but about the messages that the film highlights so well. He has used his television appearances and print interviews to bring attention to the importance of organ donation. He has also used his official fan site to engage his fans and to encourage them to register as organ donors.

http://www.ryanmerrimanweb.com/news.php

For years Ryan has also supported the James Redford Institute for transplant awareness – both the youth program and Share the Beat; he lists JRI as one of his charities of choice. http://www.ryanmerrimanweb.com/charity.php

Hawaii Five-0 (Ma Ke Kahakai) Organ Donation Storyline - Get The Facts

2011-04-27T15:19:00.005-05:00

On the 11th of April, CBS aired an episode of its hit series starring Donate Life Ambassador and Spokesperson, Alex O'Loughlin as Commander Steve Mcgarrett. In the episode, there was a subplot involving the black market procurement of Organs from China. During an exchange with his cousin, Kono Kalakaua, the character of Chin Ho Kelly is quoted as saying...

"Auntie got sick, and needed a kidney, but you know how hard it is to get on the donor list for a transplant here on the islands."

*****
From the Hawaii Coalition on Donation Website:

http://www.donatelifehawaii.org/

"Fact: The allocation of organs is determined by the United Network of Organ Sharing, UNOS , a nonprofit organization. From the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Website:

How the Transplant System Works: Matching Donors and Recipients

Selected Quote:

"A person who may benefit from a transplant is referred by his or her doctor to a transplant center, which evaluates the patient. The transplant center runs a number of tests and considers the patient's mental and physical health, as well as his or her social support system. If the center decides to accept this person as a transplant candidate, they will add his or her medical profile to the national patient waiting list for organ transplant."

From the US Department of Health - Organ Procurement and Transplant Network:

Donation and Transplantation: About Transplantation > Transplant Process

Selected Quote:

"Waiting times vary widely for many reasons. The shortage of organs causes most patients to wait for a transplant. The amount of time a patient waits does not show how well a transplant center or OPO is doing its job. Each patient's situation is different. Some patients are more ill than others when they are put on the transplant waiting list. Some patients get sick more quickly than other patients, or respond differently to treatments. Patients may have medical conditions that make it harder to find a good match for them.

How long a patient waits depends on many factors. These can include:

* blood type (some are rarer than others)
* tissue type
* height and weight of transplant candidate
* size of donated organ
* medical urgency
* time on the waiting list
* the distance between the donor's hospital and the potential donor organ
* how many donors there are in the local area over a period of time and
* the transplant center's criteria for accepting organ offers

Depending on the kind of organ needed, some factors are more important than others."

*****

So why is it so important to correct Hawaii Five-0's misinformation regarding the Organ Donor and Transplantation Process in Hawaii?

Because misinformation costs lives...

More Facts from the Hawaii Coalition on Donation:

As of March 2005, 426 people in Hawaii are currently on the waiting list, with 397 of them waiting for a kidney transplant. More than 87,000 people are on the national waiting list.
A few years ago, compared to all 50 states, Hawaii had the fewest organ donations per capita. However the numbers are improving and Hawaii ranked in the top third in the past two years. (source: Honolulu Advertiser)
Filipinos make up a large part of the transplant waiting list but once accounted for only 3 percent of donors. Recent efforts have increased that to 24 percent. (source: Honolulu Advertiser)
An average of 17 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.
Every 13 minutes another name is added to the national transplant waiting list.
One donor can enhance more than 40 different people's lives.

Despite the efforts of organisations such as Donate Life America, Hawaii Coalition on Donation, and Legacy of Life Hawaii, and improvements in the number of registered Organ Donors, more is still needed. It is imperative that people are willing to register as Organ and Tissue Donors to combat the divide between the number of people on the waiting list and the number of available Organs.

Now imagine someone watching Hawaii Five-O, who isn't already a registered Organ Donor - perhaps they've considered donation, perhaps they haven't. But now they're being told how difficult it is to get listed for an Organ Transplant in Hawaii.

"If people can't even get on the waiting list," they might think, "why should I even bother registering as an Organ Donor."

Obviously this is a hypothetical situation, but it's one example of how misinformation can do a great disservice to a very important cause. I will say it again...

Misinformation costs lives.

*****

To register as an Organ Donor in Hawaii, please click on the following image and learn more of the facts:

Get "The Daily Gift" iPad app - The Power of Two

2011-04-07T11:10:00.002-05:00

In This Message

About the Videograms

Coming This Week!

Donate

Get Involved

Dear Friends & Supporters:

Do you want to receive a new gift every day in April? How about a story each day about the miracle of organ transplantation?

One week into National Donate Life Month for organ donation awareness, "The Daily Gift," the first-of-its-kind iPad application from the producers of THE POWER OF TWO documentary film, is using powerful storytelling from across the transplant community to increase the number of registered organ donors worldwide.

Alongside production of the film, the THE POWER OF TWO crew recorded VideoGrams -- short testimonials reflecting on the power of organ donation and the miracle of breath -- including over 100 stories from the transplant community at the 2010 National Kidney Foundation (NKF) U.S. Transplant Games. Throughout April 2011, "The Daily Gift" will feature 30 VideoGrams, one premiering each day.

"The Daily Gift" also provides interactive information about organ donation and transplantation, and empowers users to register as organ donors.

The first iPad application focused on sharing organ donation and transplantation stories and inspiring people to become organ donors, "The Daily Gift" is available to download for free from Apple's App Store accessible through iTunes.

About "The Daily Gift" VideoGrams

Who is featured in the 30 "The Daily Gift" VideoGrams?

"The Daily Gift" features stories from 16 different organ transplant recipients. As several of them were transplanted with more than one organ, 22 total organs were received among the group: 5 kidneys, 4 hearts, 3 sets of lungs, 3 livers, 1 pancreas, and 6 other organs.
The families of organ recipients are greatly impacted by their loved one's second chance at life. In "The Daily Gift," 11 recipient family members share such stories.
Eight separate donor families, made up of 11 total family members, share their experience with organ donation in "The Daily Gift."
Six living donors speak about their gift of life to another person. Three are living liver donations and four are living kidney donations -- one man donated both!
In four separate videos, five transplant professionals speak of their experiences volunteering or working in fields related to organ transplantation.

"The Daily Gift" features stories from 22 states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland (3 VideoGrams), Michigan, Minnesota (2 VideoGrams), Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania (2 VideoGrams), South Carolina, and Wisconsin (4 VideoGrams).

Coming This Week In "The Daily Gift"

This week brings six more powerful VideoGrams from across the country:

April 7 - Holly Werlein, Liver Recipient Michigan

April 8 - Michael Petty, Transplant Professional, Minnesota

April 9 - Harry Kiernan, Living Liver & Kidney Donor, Connecticut

April 10 - Ray Gabel, Heart Recipient, Kansas

The VideoGram premiering April 11 features double lung transplant recipient Kelli Neal and her mother Ursula from Phoenix. As you'll see, Kelli was an engaging and energetic girl with a real passion for living (and several Transplant Games medals!). Although Kelli passed away far too soon in January 2011, her spirit and the power of her second chance at life through her transplant impacted all those around her and shine through in her VideoGram.

April 12 - Cynthia London, Donor Mom, Pennsylvania

April 13 - George Franklin III, Kidney Recipient, Maryland

If you've already downloaded "The Daily Gift," thank you! If you haven't and you have an iPad, please download "The Daily Gift" today. If you don't have an iPad, please encourage your friends with iPads to download the app -- and let you watch the VideoGrams!

Also, please follow us the rest of April and beyond by "liking" "The Power Of Two" on Facebook and subscribing to our Twitter feed. And please watch our new theatrical film trailer and make an organ donation pledge brought to you in partnership with Change.org!

With every breath,

Marc Smolowitz, Director/Producer
Andrew Byrnes, Producer
& the rest of the team at THE POWER OF TWO!

CHRIS KLUG FOUNDATION newsletter April 2011

2011-04-06T10:26:00.001-05:00

It’s National Donate Life Month! The Chris Klug Foundation is in high speed to remind Americans of their own ability to renew and enhance life through the gift of donation. April was declared National Donate Life Month on March 7, 2003 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. Before the whole month was declared, the third week in April was National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week. We are glad it is now a month long celebration and hope you’ll join us in spreading the donor message. CKF has lots of exciting new events to tell you about it, so let’s get to it!

The Team at CKF

The Chris Klug Foundation is dedicated to promoting lifesaving organ donation and improving quality of life for donors, donor families, organ transplant candidates and recipients.

Check us out online for all the latest updates and info:
www.facebook.com/chrisklugfoundation
http://twitter.com/donordudes
http://www.youtube.com/chrisklugfoundation

DONATE TO THE CHRIS KLUG FOUNDATION:

Please log on and consider a charitable donation to the Chris Klug Foundation, so we can continue our donor awareness outreach across the country. Every bit helps! Click here to donate

DONOR DUDES SHOUT OUTS!

Recognizing Awesome Organ Donor Ambassadors!

Time for Donor Dudes Shout Outs! There are so many people out there sharing their donor or transplant experience, fundraising to support life-saving donation, and promoting our Donor Dudes program! Share your stories with us and we will pass them along to our supporters. This edition features seventh grader Jacob Landa from Alexadra, VA who decided to host a cool Donor Dudes event of his own. And cool it was!

“Eliminate the Wait” Race for Awareness, produced by Jacob Landa, took place on March 5 at Bryce Resort where several ski and snowboard race enthusiasts participated in the NASTAR race course. Jacob arranged the race fee to increase by $3 and that extra money was donated to CKF (which totaled over $100!). Racers of all levels came out to have some fun on the hill and support a good cause! Following awards and prizes, Jacob shared our educational video “Know the Facts, Share your Decision” to the participants. After the video was shown, one woman expressed that organ donation isn’t discussed in her hometown driver’s ed class in Rockingham County, VA. CKF had arranged for representatives from the local Organ Procurement Organization, (OPO) to check out this event. LifeNet was able to send two volunteers; Because of this event, Rockingham County is now part of LifeNet's driver's education class presentations! Jacob's donor outreach doesn't stop there, he also plans on sharing the video with thirty members of his Hebrew Congregation at the end of this month! A big thanks to Jacob Landa and his family, Bryce Resort and LifeNet for supporting organ donation.

VIDEO PROJECT

Know the Facts, Share your Decision:

Steady progress continues with the distribution of our new Educational Video! Last time we shared that 20 different private driver's education schools in the state of Idaho had implemented the video into their program. It has been spreading throughout New England as well! Falls Driving School in Maine told us "the organ donor movie we have been showing for years did not grab the kid's attention at all. We are glad that we were made aware of this video.It is certainly making an impact.” On May 2 CKF will be a vendor at the Idaho Public Driver Education Conference in Boise, ID. Our goal is to tell of the instructors about the video and sign them up to show it in their classrooms! In addition to contacting driver's education classes, we have been calling high school health teachers in CO. Several have jumped on board and we are hopeful that once we talk to everyone, it will spread like wildfire!

Targeted at health and drivers education classes, the video showcases the importance of knowing the facts about organ donation to make an informed, educated decision, and being sure to share that decision with your family. The video also promotes quality of life post transplant, and the importance of being healthy and active. The response from teachers and students who have seen the video has been tremendous! Perhaps you know someone in the health/teaching community or a driver's ed. instructor? We encourage you to tell them about the video. You can view the trailer here! Know the Facts, Share your Decision

RECENT EVENTS

Aspen High Donor Awareness Day

Back in February Aspen High School hosted a Donor Awareness Day on Valentine's Day. All registered organ donors were entered into a drawing for a chance to win a certificate to a local lunch hot spot. (If a gift certificate for free food won’t attract the kids I don’t know what will!) Just as we hoped, the students surrounded our table to proudly show the heart on their driver's permit or license. Not only were there hundreds of proud registered organ donors, 20 more students registered to become donors that day! What a great way to share the love on Valentine's Day!

Skiing and Business

At the end of February Donor Dudes hosted two back to back events. The first one was the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) State Ski Championships in Aspen. Hundreds of student athletes competed in Giant Slalom, Slalom and Nordic ski disciplines. (Congratulations to the Aspen Women’s Team for taking the state title!) Chris Klug gave the keynote address Friday evening at the awards ceremony and shared his transplant experience and message of organ donation with about 350 racers. Donor Dudes was proud to be involved with the event and discuss organ donation with so many students from the state of Colorado. The Monday following the ski event was the state DECA competition in Colorado Springs. The high school competition attracted 2,500 highly motivated students. Donor Dudes spoke to many of them and even signed up 100 new potential Donor Dudes ambassadors! (See details on our Donor Dudes program below) One of the new Donor Dudes students from Grandview High School in Aurora, CO will be hosting her own Donor Dudes event soon!

Aspen High Service Fair

The Aspen Service Fair held at the high school on March 8 was a great opportunity for CKF to share our message with 200 junior and senior students. The service fair was a chance for the students to learn more about volunteer opportunities in their community. A handful of students signed up to learn more about how they can spread the life-saving donor message, and we will definitely put them to work! Thanks for the support, Skiers!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tailgate Alaska

First on the busy April calendar is Tailgate Alaska! This is the first time we have ever done an awareness event in Alaska. Amanda Greenwood, a volunteer who was eager to get involved with CKF suggested the idea of Tailgate Alaska in Valdez, AK. The event attracts hundreds of snow sports enthusiasts from all over the country to relish in the wonder of backcountry riding on Thompson Pass. When tailgaters aren't snowboarding jaw-dropping lines on the hill, they are gathered in a camp-like community soaking up the views, and enjoying the camaraderie. Claimed to be an "Experience of a Lifetime", we are psyched to have the unique opportunity for Donor Dudes to share the organ donation message with a new audience in Alaska!

Aspen Snow Angels Show

This Thursday at 5pm at the Sky Hotel in Aspen, Hooters will be shooting their Swimsuit in the Snow series that will benefit the Chris Klug Foundation! Last year the famed business gave CKF a very generous donation of $10,000! We are grateful to have their support and look forward to being a part of the event again this year.

Beat Coach Pete 5k

Beat Coach Pete Scholarship Run is happening in Boise, ID on April 9. You've heard of the Boise State Broncos, right? Football head coach Chris Peterson aka "Coach Pete" laces up his running kicks this time each year to see just how fast he can run a 5k road race! The Boise State Recreation Department will host around 2,000 Boise State students and city residents, all of whom hope to gain bragging rights that they "Beat Coach Pete." This year Donor Dudes will be at the finish line of the race promoting organ donation during National Donate Life Month. The BSU student newspaper will feature a story about organ donation and CKF prior to the race. In addition, the Idaho OPO - Intermountain Donor Services - provided us with state donor registration cards so we are prepared to register new Idaho organ & tissue donors.

FBLA State Leadership Conference

The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) invited CKF to be a part of the State Leadership Conference in Vail, CO on April 18. Over 2,700 high school students, teachers and advisors will attend the conference with hopes of broadening their future leadership options. We are grateful to have the opportunity to educate our target audience about organ donation at this event. Thank you, FBLA.

MAVS Have Heart

CKF and Colorado OPO Donor Alliance, are celebrating National Donate Life Month in Grand Junction, CO on April 21 with our new "MAVS Have Heart" event! We have teamed up to create the ultimate organ donor buzz on Mesa State Campus. Our goal is to sign up at least 500 new organ donors! Come by the south ballroom in the student center on Thursday, April 21, to meet Chris Klug, watch our educational video, win prizes, enjoy music by DJ Jazzy Gem and celebrate organ donation! In addition to the event, CKF volunteers and Donor Alliance will be in the student center every Wednesday throughout April registering new organ donors. Let us know if you are interested in volunteering on any of these dates at Mesa State.

Other April Outreach Events

A few other outreach events to mention - Heather Meas from the public library in LaJunta, CO recognized that April is National Donate Life Month and contacted us to see how they can educate their users about the cause. We sent them our video along with other materials and giveaways to share with the public for the month. Brianne Catarozolli at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI is hosting a campus donor drive on April 7. We’re stoked they thought of us to help! We're excited to hear how many new donors they register! Finally, Brooke Schneider at Rowan University in New Jersey will be leading the 19th Annual Donor Day on April 12. Guess who will be handing out cool Donor Dudes giveaways!? Can't wait to see pictures, Brooke! Thanks for supporting organ & tissue donation, everyone - good luck with your events!

Donor Dash

U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge

SAVE THE DATES! We are very excited to announce that CKF will be part of the U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge this August! You can find CKF and Donor Dudes on the 2nd day of the race in Aspen on August 24, then again on the final day in Denver on August 28. The world's best cyclists will form 16 teams who will attack terrain unlike anything else in the world. Our foundation will be in the middle of the action promoting organ donation in fun and unique way that cycling enthusiasts can relate to! With an expected one million spectators throughout the six days, this is definitely projecting to be the largest event we have ever participated in!

Vans Warped Tour

SAVE THE DATES! Donor Dudes is hitting the road with the Vans Warped Tour again this summer! Kicking things off in Denver, CO on August 5 followed by Salt Lake City, UT August 6, Carson, CA August 10, Nampa, ID August 12 and Hillsboro, OR August 14. Who's in?!

DID YOU KNOW: (Courtesy of Donate Life America)

Fact: One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance up to 50 lives through tissue donation.

Fact: There are currently 110,646 people currently on the national transplant waiting list.

Dudes, these are some pretty eye-opening facts! Here is how you can do your part:

Educate yourself and your friends on the facts about organ and tissue donation. Work to spread the word in a cool way at your school or in your community.
Each state is different in terms of how you properly register to be a donor. LOG ON to find out what your state requires, and follow the necessary steps.
Be sure to share your decision with your family, and encourage your friends to do the same.
Together we can eliminate the wait!

GET INVOLVED:

Be a Donor Dude on your Campus:

Check out the tools in our DONOR DUDES KIT! Be sure to log on, download, and use them in your next event: DONOR DUDES TOOL KIT

We can provide you with all the help you need to host a successful and LIFE-SAVING event! We can provide cool event schwag including stickers, donor cards, pins, as well as a ”HOW TO” guide to make your event a hit, and much more! Let us know how we can help you plan and pull off your donation activities. WE ARE HERE TO HELP! But, be sure to share the news and photos with us-you might even make the next newsletter.

Jenny Marshall
Executive Director
Chris Klug Foundation
www.chrisklugfoundation.org
970.216.2511

Organ Donors Save Lives - Loyola University Medical Centre

2011-04-03T16:12:00.002-05:00

A touching video presentation by Loyola University Medical Centre, honouring those who have given the ultimate gift.

(from their YouTube page)

April is National Donate Life Month. More than 5.5 million people in Illinois have made the selfless decision to be organ and tissue donors by registering their wishes in the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry, but the number of people waiting for donor organs continues to grow, according to Gift of Hope, an organ and tissue donor network. More than 4,800 people in Illinois are waiting for life-saving organs, and thousands more Illinoisans will need life-enhancing tissue transplants at some point in their lives, Gift of Hope representatives said. Won't you consider becoming a donor? For more information about donation and transplantation, please call Loyola at (888) LUHS-888, (888-584-7888).

Support Donate Life & Save Money on Car Services

2011-04-03T13:07:00.004-05:00

http://www.einnews.com/pr-news/368462-aoca-announces-coupon-book-campaign-to-benefit-donate-life-america

Organ Donors Needed To Help Save Lives

2011-04-03T12:22:00.004-05:00

http://www.app.com/article/20110402/NJOPINION02/104020310/Organ-donors-needed-to-help-save-lives

THE POWER OF TWO newsletter, April 2011

2011-04-02T08:03:00.001-05:00

In This Message

The Daily Gift iPad Application

Brand New Website

Official Theatrical Trailer

Change.org Pledge

Japan & The Power Of Two

Donate

Get Involved

Dear Friends & Supporters:

Today marks not only the beginning of National Donate Life Month for organ donation awareness but also an exciting 4-part launch for THE POWER OF TWO, including:

A first-of-its-kind iPad application, The Daily Gift, brought to you by THE POWER OF TWO, with help from numerous sponsors and community partners;
A brand new website to reflect the look and feel of the recently completed feature documentary film, directed by Academy Award nominated producer Marc Smolowitz;
The online release of our official theatrical film trailer; and
An organ donation pledge, brought to you in partnership with our new Interactive Community Partner Change.org.

Throughout April and beyond, each of these will help spread the word about THE POWER OF TWO film (coming soon!) and, more importantly, highlight the critical need for more organ donors. Please help us spread the message of saying "yes" to organ donation during National Donate Life Month by sharing the following with friends, family, social networks, and members of your community.

iPad Application: The Daily Gift

We are proud to announce the release of THE DAILY GIFT, an interactive video application available exclusively on Apple iPad tablets. The first iPad application focused on sharing organ donation and transplantation stories and inspiring people to become organ donors, THE DAILY GIFT premieres today and is available as a free download from Apple's App Store accessible through iTunes.

The Daily Gift will feature 30 VideoGrams -- short testimonials recorded by THE POWER OF TWO crew at the 2010 National Kidney Foundation (NKF) U.S. Transplant Games -- and provide interactive information on organ donation and transplantation in the United States as well as empower users to register as organ donors. Each day in April, we will release one new VideoGram inside THE DAILY GIFT iPad application, including stories from 22 states, 16 organ recipients, 11 donor family members, 6 living donors, 11 recipient family members, and 5 transplant professionals.

Brand New THE POWER OF TWO Website

Our redesigned website makes it even easier to stay informed about THE POWER OF TWO and become a part of our growing online community! Please explore our new website with special attention to:

The Film Blog: Stay informed about screenings, events, & the releases of new online video content.
Ana & Isa's Blog: Read the original writing of the Stenzel Twins -- the double lung recipients who are the centerpiece characters of THE POWER OF TWO.
Call to Action: Learn about our new Outreach and Engagement Campaign, join the cause, and help bring THE POWER OF TWO to your community.
The Social Media Room: Stay connected with us and join dynamic public conversations about organ donation, cystic fibrosis awareness, and related health causes on Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites.

Official Theatrical Film Trailer
Be sure to watch our official theatrical film trailer for THE POWER OF TWO, which gives you a first peak at the completed film documentary! Please share it with others to help ignite demand for a film screening and community event in your community!

Change.org Pledge for Organ & Tissue Donation

Working with Change.org, we've crafted a special organ and tissue donation pledge for everyday citizens to commit to this important cause. This pledge is a powerful tool for demonstrating your support of the over 110,000 Americans currently on the transplant waiting list. Make a difference today that all can see: pledge to say "YES" to organ and tissue donation and encourage those around you to do the same.

Japan & The Power Of Two

THE POWER OF TWO team feels a close bond with Japan. Not only are the Stenzel Twins half-Japanese, major filming of THE POWER OF TWO began on the twins' 10-city book and speaking tour across Japan in October 2009. Those 10 cities included Sendai, which was devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami. THE POWER OF TWO features people and locations from across Japan. Our thoughts, hearts and prayers for recovery and rebirth go out to all those in Japan whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the devastation there.

With every breath,

Marc Smolowitz/Director/Producer

Andrew Byrnes, Producer

THE 5TH QUARTER starts in select theaters today!

2011-03-25T10:31:00.003-05:00

THE 5TH QUARTER OPENS MARCH 25TH
In the tradition of 'The Blind Side' comes the inspirational true story......

The 5th Quarter is in theaters in select cities around the nation on March 25th. Based on a true story, The 5th Quarter carries a powerful message of triumphing over tragedy when two parents (Andie MacDowell & Aidan Quinn) and their surrounding community come together after a devastating car accident. After the tragic car crash takes the life of his younger brother Luke, Wake Forest's football player Jon Abbate (Ryan Merriman) helps lead his team in their most successful season.

If you love inspirational sports stories and want to see a heart-warming film about having gratitude for life and overcoming obstacles, gather your family and friends to go see The 5th Quarter on Friday, March 25th. Watch the Trailer here!

THEATER LISTINGS NOW AVAILABLE
Opening weekend is March 25-27, just a couple weeks away! Make plans now and tell all your family and friends to go see The 5th Quarter at your local theatre. Find your local theatre here!

INSPIRED REACTIONS
The 5th Quarter has already had a major impact on those that have seen it in early screenings and Facebook fans are raving about the inspirational impact this incredible film will have on those who see it.

"The story was incredibly moving, and it was apparent that Rick Bieber took great care to be as true to the real-life story as possible. I thought the moment to moment portrayal of what the family went through right after the accident felt very authentic." -Kim Peeler, AOL

"This is going to be a "MUST SEE MOVIE!" -Dan Ellenberger

"What a powerful story... It is a breath of fresh air to see organ donation in the form of a true story..." -Christina Leahy

"Can't wait to see this!! My son was an organ and tissue donor at the age of 18. I'm so proud of our heroes...the donors!" -Lynn Parker

"DO NOT MISS SEEING IT. It is incredible! Please... if you thought for one moment, The Blind Side was a good movie - then, do not pass on seeing The 5th Quarter. You will not be sorry." -Ty Manns

Visit The 5th Quarter Movie Site
Become a Fan of The 5th Quarter
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