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COLORADOAN WILL REPRESENT ORGAN, TISSUE AND BLOOD DONORS IN 2007 ROSE PARADE®
Colorado Donor Mother to Inspire Parade Viewers Worldwide to Donate Life
DENVER—December 11, 2006—Through his death on September 18, 2004, 14-year-old Jake Snakenberg gave the ultimate gift – the gift of life – by being an organ and tissue donor. To honor his gift, Jake’s mother, Kelli Jantz, will join 23 other living donors and donor family members from 11 states and Canada in the 118th Tournament of Roses Parade. They will ride on the Donate Life float, Giving from the Heart, encouraging millions of viewers to follow their example and save lives by registering to be organ, tissue and blood donors.
The 2007 Rose Parade, themed Our Good Nature, will take place on Monday, January 1, 2007, in Pasadena, California at 9:00 a.m., Mountain Standard Time.
“While the Donate Life float honors living donors and donor families, we are especially proud to sponsor float rider Kelli Jantz of Centennial, CO, a donation advocate who has spent nearly 20 years of her professional career helping potential organ recipients as a transplant coordinator at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver,” said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance, the non-profit organ procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming. “Kelli became a donor mother two years ago after her son collapsed during a high school football game and we are honored to have her represent our organization and the more than 1,600 people who await an organ transplant in our state.”
“We’re proud to enter a float that honors all donors in such a meaningful way,” added Bryan Stewart, chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float organizing committee. “When the Tournament of Roses announced that the 2007 Rose Parade theme would be Our Good Nature, we knew that organ, tissue and blood donors would personify the spirit of giving so that others can live. Every gift of life is a gift from the heart, as the experiences of our 23 riders demonstrate.”
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 93,000 Americans currently await life-saving organ transplants, with 17 people dying each day due to the shortage of donated organs. Organs that can be donated include the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and small intestine.
“For our family, donation means that a little bit of Jake’s life is being carried on, adding purpose to what happened. Jake’s gift allows us to keep a part of his spirit with us which is very fitting for a boy who is now our angel,” explained Jantz.
“Since Jake was such an avid football fan, being in the Rose Parade with its connection to football makes this even more special for us,” Jantz added.
For more information about the Donate Life Rose Parade Float, visit the official Web site at donatelifefloat.org. For more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit DonorAlliance.org. To register to be an organ and tissue donor, please visit ColoradoDonorRegistry.org or WyomingDonorRegistry.org or call 303.329.4747 or toll-free at 1.888.256.4386.
About Donor Alliance
Donor Alliance is the federally designated non-profit organ procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming. As a recognized leader in facilitating the donation and recovery of transplantable organs and tissues, Donor Alliance’s primary objectives are to save and enhance the lives of others. To achieve these objectives, Donor Alliance employs effective family approach and recovery programs in over 100 hospitals and increases the awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation through public awareness and education campaigns in its service area. For more information, visit DonorAlliance.org. Visit ColoradoDonorRegistry.org or WyomingDonorRegistry.org to register to be an organ and tissue donor.
We are pleased to announce the creation of Colorado’s new specialty Donate Life license plate. CLICK HERE.
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