#ShineALight for National Donate Life Month to illuminate the importance of Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

Join us this April 2024 as we #ShineALight for National Donate Life Month!

This April is the 21st Anniversary of National Donate Life Month. Established by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003, Coloradans and Wyomingites join the national effort to honor the generosity of our heroic donors and their families, celebrate with the recipients, and recognize the nearly 1,300 of our neighbors who await lifesaving transplants.

This year the campaign of #ShineALight returns. #ShineALight was inspired by one of Donor Alliance’s Advocate for Life volunteers, Tony, a heart and kidney recipient. Tony received his lifesaving gifts in March of 2020. For more than two years, Tony, lit two candles for his “Angel Donor” in honor of their gift of life. In those two years, Tony did not know his donor’s identity. After posting his sign on a social media, Tony received a message that he had been waiting for since his transplants. In 2022, Tony was able to meet his Donor’s mom, Robin. With that, he got to learn about his heroic angel donor, Sicily, and has developed a relationship with his new extended family. The tradition continues, but now two candles burn every evening in honor of Sicily. Without the generosity of heroic donors and their families, people like Tony would not have a second chance at life.

We are proud that Colorado and Wyoming are two of the most generous states in the country when it comes to registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. Yet there are still nearly 1,300 people in our community waiting for a lifesaving and healing transplant. That’s why we are asking all Coloradoans and Wyomingites to shine a light on the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor when you obtain/renew your driver license or state ID. Donor Alliance is inviting the community to request a free ‘Shine A Light’ kit. This year, Donor Alliance is giving out more than 300 kits to symbolize the generosity of 307 donors last year who provided 918 lifesaving transplants.

 Free #ShineALight kits are available today! Learn more on DecidingOnDonation.org. The kit includes a battery-operated candle, a “I Shine A Light For…” sign, and instructions on how to join us for the month of April.

If more than 1,300 of us shine a light in our window at home, it will inspire others to register. One person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal more than 75 lives through tissue donation. If we highlight the need to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, thousands of our neighbors waiting for a lifesaving transplant could be saved and healed by the gift of life. Join us and #ShineALight this April. Here’s how you can help:

#ShineALight Free Kit

Request a FREE Lighting Kit for your home or office (includes candle and #ShineALight sign). Write in bold marker the name of the person you #ShineALight for this April. Place a battery-operated candle and your sign in your window or on your desk for the month of April.

National Blue & Green Spirit Week

Easy Ways YOU Can Show Your Support:

National Blue & Green Spirit Week is the week of April 8. During this week, supporters of organ, eye and tissue donation across our region will celebrate leading up to National Blue & Green Day on April 12!

Check out our events calendar to see ways you can get involved during spirit week. The biggest event will be the 3rd Annual National Donate Life Lighting Event at the Denver City and County of Building on Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Wear your best blue & green Donate Life colors! From socks, to t-shirts, to bracelets and tutus – it’s time to get creative to show your support for organ, eye and tissue donation!

Be sure to post your photos on social to inspire others to #ShineALight on organ, eye and tissue donation too! Consider sharing your photo on your social media as well and tagging us on @DonateLifeColorado or @DonateLifeWyoming using #ShineALight.

National Blue & Green Spirit Week is a great opportunity to show your support for organ, eye and tissue donation. If you have questions about donation, you can read up on the facts. You can also sign up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor anytime online at Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming or when renewing your Driver’s License or State ID.

Also visit decidingondonation.org to see other ways you can get involved with National Donate Life Month, and make sure to enter our Polaroid Camera Giveaway!