The Chicago Wolves are teaming up with Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network to score a victory for people waiting for a lifesaving gift.
On March 12, the Allstate Arena will be full of fans of hockey — and organ and tissue donation. Gift of Hope Night will feature donor families and organ and tissue recipients participating in a special intermission activity. Fans will have the opportunity to learn about organ and tissue donation and how to register as a donor by visiting the Gift of Hope display area on the concourse. Gift of Hope will distribute backpacks and bracelets to fans who stop by.
The mission of Gift of Hope is to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation, and, in 2015, 379 people became organ donors, resulting in 1,077 organ transplants. In addition, nearly 2,000 people enhanced the lives of thousands more as tissue donors. Gift of Hope President/CEO Kevin Cmunt said, “We are excited to partner once again with the Chicago Wolves. It is vital to get the donation message to as many people as possible because more than 121,000 people are on the national transplant waiting list, more than 5,000 of whom are in Illinois. So there is an urgent need to let people know how important it is to be a registered donor. We are extremely grateful to the Chicago Wolves organization for giving us this opportunity to spread the donation message.”
“The opportunity to create a partnership where our fans and organization truly can make a difference in people’s lives is both unique and exciting,” said Wolves President of Business Operations Mike Gordon. “With Gift of Hope, our desire is to increase awareness and get our Wolves fans to register as organ and tissue donors. Our fan base is both loyal and generous, and we look forward to creating positive outcomes together.”
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is a not-for-profit organ procurement organization entrusted by the nation’s healthcare system with coordinating organ and tissue donation and providing donor family services and public education in Illinois and northwest Indiana. Since its inception in 1986, Gift of Hope has coordinated donations that have saved the lives of more than 24,000 organ transplant recipients and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of tissue transplant recipients. As one of 58 organ procurement organizations that make up the nation’s organ and tissue donation system, Gift of Hope works with 180 hospitals and serves 12 million residents in its donation service area. For more information about Gift of Hope and organ and tissue donation, visit GiftofHope.org.
