Cobertura Reciente en los Medios
2017 Annual Report
2017 Annual Report - A year of gratitude, possibilities and hope
2017 was a significant year for organ and tissue donation in Colorado and Wyoming. Thanks to donors in our region, 407 people received lifesaving organ transplants. More than one million people added their names to the state donor registries. A record-breaking 1,752 tissue donors provided lifesaving and healing tissue to provide bone, tissue and skin grafts to thousands of recipients in need. We are grateful to the generous donors and their families who make our mission of saving lives possible.
The Need for Lifesaving Organ Transplants Affects all Communities
Here in Colorado and Wyoming, there are nearly 2,500 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. All communities are in need of life-saving organ transplants. Of those waiting, 42 percent belong to multicultural communities. Although organ transplant candidates are not matched based on race/ethnicity, transplant matches made within ethnic groups can be more compatible. That is why it so important that more people register as organ, eye and tissue donors, including people in multicultural communities. The more people who register their decision to be donors, the more lives can be saved and healed.
National Minority Donor Awareness Week (NMDAW) celebrated August 1-7, was created to increase awareness of the need for more organ, eye, and tissue donors, especially among multicultural communities. This special observance honors multicultural donors who have given the gift of life through donation and transplantation and encourages all communities to register as donors and talk about their decision with their friends and family.
You can help those waiting for a second chance at life by saying “yes” at the DMV, or anytime at Donate Life Colorado, Done Vida Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming. Just one donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and save or heal more than 75 lives through tissue donation. Once you have registered, talk to those closest to you about your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.
Donor Alliance Employees Recognized by AOPO for Leading Efforts in Donation and Transplantation
At the 2018 Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) conference, two Donor Alliance employees received recognitions for their leading efforts in donation and transplantation.
Jennifer Prinz, COO of Donor Alliance, was honored by receiving the AOPO/Cryolife Achievement Award. The award signifies an individual who has made significant personal or professional contributions to AOPO.
Jennifer has been an active participant in AOPO for over 15 years, serving on eight different committees, helping to maximize work with stakeholders and implement recommendations that advance the field of donation and transplantation, ultimately saving more lives. Through several leadership roles at AOPO, Jennifer continues to strive to help better meet the needs of the industry as a whole.
Steve Selby, Donor Alliance Director of Information Systems, was also honored, winning the highest recognition in the Poster Abstracts competition. Selby’s winning project depicted the concept of using artificial intelligence through machine learning to potentially assess the likelihood of referrals becoming organ donors and utilize staff skillset and numbers to maximize organ donation.
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Done Vida ECO Busca Crear Conciencia sobre la Donación en Comunidades Multiculturales
Las comunidades multiculturales tienen una necesidad desproporcionada de trasplantes de órganos. Actualmente, el 58 por ciento de la lista de espera de trasplantes en los EE. UU. está compuesta por pacientes étnicamente diversos. Aquí en nuestra comunidad, la necesidad local refleja esta tendencia. De las casi 2,500 personas que están esperando un trasplante de órganos en Colorado y Wyoming, el 44 por ciento de ellas son étnicamente diversas y el 48 por ciento están esperando un trasplante de riñón.
En un esfuerzo por mitigar la necesidad tan alta de trasplantes en grupos minoritarios, Donate Life America (DLA) y la Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) crearon la campaña Done Vida ECO, que significa Cada Comunidad Tiene Oportunidad. Celebrado anualmente en julio, Done Vida ECO, es una campaña nacional de dos semanas que busca crear conciencia en la comunidad a través de las redes sociales y alienta al público a hablar sobre la donación y los trasplantes.
Uno de los objetivos de esta campaña es crear conciencia sobre la necesidad de más donantes multiculturales registrados. Además, la campaña destaca la importancia de la donación y los trasplante en comunidades multiculturales y, así mismo, celebra lo que los trasplantes ha hecho posible en dichas comunidades.
Done Vida Colorado y Done Vida Wyoming invitan a la comunidad a celebrar Done Vida ECO del 8 al 22 de julio de 2018 registrando su decisión de ser donantes de órganos, ojos y tejidos en www.DoneVidaColorado.org o www.DoneVidaWyoming.org. Un solo donante puede salvar hasta 8 vidas a través de la donación de órganos y salvar o sanar más de 75 personas a través de la donación de tejidos. Una vez que te registres, habla con tu familia sobre tu decisión de ser un donador de órganos, ojos y tejidos.
Colorado DMV Opens New Driver License Office in Westminster
On Wednesday, July 18, the newest Colorado Driver License office opened in Westminster at 8464 Federal Boulevard. The Westminster office will be open from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m., Monday through Friday. It is conveniently located next to an established Adams County Motor Vehicle Office, which processes title and registrations for vehicles.
This office is expected to relieve some of the volume at the Northglenn and Lakewood offices. Northglenn and Lakewood together process more than 165,000 driver permit, license and ID card applications annually. Donor Alliance is excited to support our partners at the DMV by providing newly updated My Hero Said Yes! signs and other educational materials that will be displayed and available to the public in the Westminster office. We are grateful to all of our offices who help us achieve our mission of saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation every day. For more information about organ, eye and tissue donation, please visit www.DonateLifeColorado.org.
***Special Note: All Colorado title and registration offices will be closed August 1-5 and all driver license offices will be closed August 2-5 for an upgrade to the computer systems. Learn more about the closures at www.colorado.gov/pacific/dmv.
2018 Donor Dash Breaks Records
On July 15th, Donor Alliance hosted the 19th annual Donor Dash at Washington Park in Denver. A record breaking 6,419 registered participantsgathered to support and spread awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation. The Donor Dash is a 5K run/walk that honors the lives of organ, eye and tissue donors; celebrates the lives of organ, eye and tissue recipients; and recognizes those who continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant. A big thank you to all of the participants, speakers, volunteers and organizations who helped make the 19th annual Donor Dash a huge success!
Watch our wrap up video of the 2018 Donor Dash!
Donate Life ECHO – Increases Awareness about Donation Among Multicultural Communities
Multicultural communities are disproportionately in need for lifesaving organ transplants.
Currently, 58 percent of the U.S. transplant waiting list is comprised of ethnically diverse patients. Here in our community, the local need mirrors that trend. Of the nearly 2,500 people waiting for an organ transplant in Colorado and Wyoming, 44 percent of them are ethnically diverse and 48 percent are waiting for a kidney.
In an effort to address this need, Donate Life America (DLA) and the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT) created Donate Life ECHO, which stands for Every Community Has Opportunity. Celebrated annually in July, Donate Life ECHO is a national two-week outreach campaign that engages the community through social media and encourages the public to talk about donation and transplantation.
One of the objectives of this observance is to raise awareness about the need for more multicultural registered donors. In addition, the outreach campaign highlights the importance of donation and transplantation in multicultural communities and celebrates what transplant has made possible in such communities.
Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming are encouraging individuals to celebrate Donate Life ECHO from July 8-22, 2018 by registering their decision to be organ, eye and tissue donors at www.DonateLifeColorado.org, www.DoneVidaColorado.org or www.DonateLifeWyoming.org. Just one donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and save or heal more than 75 lives through tissue donation. Once you have registered, talk to your family about your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.
Donor Dash: Everything You Need to Know on Race Day
On Sunday, July 15, thousands of people from across the nation will gather with us at Denver’s Washington Park to supportorgan, eye and tissue donation at the 19th annual Donor Dash 5K run/walk. To make the most of your Donor Dash experience, here is everything you need to know to help you prepare for race day:
- Arrive Early! We are hoping to break attendance records with more than 6,000 racers so come early. Expect some congestion and use the extra time as an opportunity to meet some other people who have been touched by the gift of life.
- Parking: Parking is available at South High School across E Louisiana Ave. onthe south side of the park. Transportation assistance will be provided from the parking lot to the start line, which is near E Mississippi St. and S Franklin St. Please reserve transportation assistance for those who are unable to make the trek.
- Race, Expo and Program Start Times: The race begins at 8:00 a.m. for runners and 8:05 a.m. for walkers. Dogs and strollers are welcome, but please wait to start your race with the back of the group and be courteous to the runners and walkers around you. The expo area opens at 8:00 a.m. near the finish line and the program will begin at 9:30 a.m.
- Race Course and Map: You can find a race day map of the course and activities here. The course and layout are similar to prior Donor Dashes and should look familiar to returning dashers.
- Free Team Photos: Teams of 10 or more are eligible for a free team photo. Have all team members report to the team photo area new the start line to take advantage of professional team photos from 7:00-7:45 a.m. or following the race from 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. If you are trying to get your photo taken pre-race, make sure to do so before 7:30 a.m.
For any additional information, visit our Donor Dash FAQs page.
Donor Dash: I’m Registered. How Else Can I Help?
On Sunday, July 15, thousands of people from around the nation will join us at Denver’s Washington Park to support organ, eye and tissue donation at the 19th annual Donor Dash 5K run/walk. Are you already registered? Wondering how else you can help? Here are a couple of ways you can help spread awareness for this important cause leading up to race day:
- Invite your friends and family and start a team! You can start a team by heading to the Donor Dash registration page. No team members can be added or changed after team registration closes on Sunday, July 8. Be sure your team captain checks your roster and gets out any last minute reminders to anyone who may way to join!
- Share who you are dashing for with your online community. Using our online tool kit, it’s easy to help us spread the word about Donor Dash. Individuals, teams, hospitals and businesses are all encouraged to join us at the Donor Dash. We created our online toolkit to help you easily share your participation and invite others to join you! The toolkit even includes pre-sized Twitter and Facebook profile cover images for you to share.
- Sport your Donor Dash swag early with early packet pickup. Teams and individuals registered on or before Sunday, July 8 are eligible for early packet pickup. Early packet pickup will take place on Wednesday, July 11th in the main lobby of the Donor Alliance’s office building, the Galleria Office Towers (720 S. Colorado Boulevard, Denver 80246). Race day registration and onsite packet pickup will also be available beginning at 7:00 a.m. on July 15.
For any additional information, including a race day schedule of events and a course map, visit our Donor Dash FAQs page. We’ll see you at Donor Dash!
Request an Expert Organ and Tissue Donation Speaker for Your Group
Do you know a community group that has questions about organ and tissue donation? Does your company invite guest speakers to give presentations about community initiatives? Has your child’s school mentioned a guest speaker program? We have a new resource for you!
We have trained staff members and volunteers who are available by request to speak to community groups about what organ and tissue donation is and the importance of talking about one’s decision with family. There are several different topics to choose from and we try to match the right speaker to your event.
Many groups have already been scheduled this year and show the variety of community events our Staff Speakers Bureau can enhance. Some examples are: “Young at Heart” Seniors Group at Risen Savior Lutheran Church, Healthy Living Class for Older Veterans, Rocky Mountain Liver Transplant Support Group, Beta Sigma Phi Laureate Lambda Sorority in Casper, Longmont Kiwanis Club, Cherry Creek Schools Medical Careers classes. Our presenters strive to fit the presentation to the audience.
If you would like to schedule a speaker, please fill out the request form on our website. Please allow two weeks before date of event. Help us meet your needs by providing details. The details about your group and event enable us to provide the best-matched speaker for your event. The Public Education Coordinator will contact you to confirm the information within five business days.
Families and Heroic Donors Honored at 2018 Donor Family Tribute
On Saturday, May 19th, Donor Alliance was honored to welcome 124 incredible Donor Families to the 2018 Annual Donor Family Tribute at the Seawell Ballroom in the Denver Center Performing Arts Complex. At this special event, themed Lives Transformed, donor families honored loved ones and their gift of organ and tissue donation with a candle-lighting ceremony, photo tribute, and butterfly wall. The Donor Family Quilt Project was also on display, and families were able to contribute a quilt square in honor of their loved one. Recipient speakers shared their gratitude and inspiring stories of how donation and transplantation has changed their lives. This event was especially meaningful for Donor Alliance staff, offering a way to thank the incredible donor families for the gift of life and healing that they make possible. Oh behalf of all of us at Donor Alliance, thank you to the heroic donor families for sharing your time and the memory of your loved one with us. It's an honor to serve you.
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Foundation Spotlight: Jennifer Moe
We’re so proud to announce the formation of the Donor Alliance Foundation. In our Spotlight, we would like to take a minute to introduce you to Donor Alliance Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Moe.
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Jennifer Moe - Executive Director of The Donor Alliance Foundation[/caption]
Name: Jennifer Moe
Position: Executive Director of The Donor Alliance Foundation
Tell us a little about your role with Donor Alliance: As the Executive Director of The Donor Alliance Foundation, my job is to build a grantmaking platform that gets dollars back out into the community. The Donor Alliance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to support and promote education about organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Whether medical research, patient assistance or general community education I am working to elevate the lifesaving mission of organ and tissue donation through grant making.
What is the best thing about working at Donor Alliance? The very best thing about working at The Donor Alliance Foundation is the feeling you get when you walk in the door. Coming back after three years, it felt like coming home. And getting to come back and work alongside Sue Dunn and Jennifer Prinz and so many smart and driven people on the planet, makes me feel very fortunate. I am so grateful to be back in this new role continuing lifesaving work.
When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun? I used to run marathons and have a clean house and visit with friends after work. Now married with two girls ages 6 and 8, I spend my time driving the carpool, going to activities and sports events and making slime. I enjoy seeing the world through my girls’ eyes – it is like reliving my childhood all over again.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Being a mother and a wife. I have everything I have ever wanted in my family of four. I am also proud of my work at Donor Alliance. Little did I know back in 2005 when I began my role as Director of Communications and PR how this work would become woven into my life. I do not take for granted what a gift I have been given being able to be a part of this organization.
If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go? Right now it would probably be anywhere warm with a beach. But Europe is my favorite. Probably to Switzerland for a real Swiss Fondue and visit to the Alps.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Stand up straight. Never be afraid of being tall. ?