CASPER, Wyoming – Donor Alliance, the federally designated organ procurement organization serving Colorado and Wyoming, today announced the expansion of its “Check the Box” campaign into Wyoming. The campaign features University of Wyoming athletes encouraging residents to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors.

The comprehensive campaign will reach Wyomingites through digital advertising, social media, and community partnerships, all bringing to life the organization’s refreshed Rocky Mountain Strong brand concept. Residents will also see refreshed materials at WYDOT Driver Services locations, which is where over 90% of registered donors have made the lifesaving decision to become organ and tissue donors.

“The updated look and feel for our new campaign embodies the spirit of our community—the people of Wyoming truly are Rocky Mountain strong,” said Jennifer Prinz, president and CEO, Donor Alliance. “That strength, compassion, and willingness to show up for a neighbor, that’s exactly what checking the box ‘yes’ represents. Right now, nearly 100 Wyomingites are waiting for a lifesaving transplant. One simple decision can give them hope.”

To celebrate the rollout of the new campaign, throughout the month of April, which is also National Donate Life Month, Donor Alliance will host in-person events and ribbon cuttings at WYDOT Driver Services offices across the state to unveil the new campaign and honor the Driver Services employees who play a vital role in saving lives through donation every day.

“Organ donation is a selfless act that can give a family something priceless: more precious time with their loved one,” said WYDOT Director Darin Westby. “WYDOT is proud to support this cause, and we hope Wyoming drivers consider registering as donors next time they visit with us at Driver Services.”

The “Check the Box” campaign emphasizes that everyone can register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, and when you check the box YES, one day you may save someone’s life. The campaign’s tagline, “Think Inside the Box,” underscores how one simple decision at Driver Services can create a ripple effect of hope. For every YES box checked, there are 75 neighbors who have a chance to heal. Someone who rides down the same streets. Roots for the same team. It’s simple for you, but life-changing for them.

When Judy Walker found out she had synovial sarcoma, a rare, soft-tissue cancer, she thought she might have to amputate her left leg.

As we close out National Donate Life Month and observe National Donor Remembrance Day, please join us in a flag-lowering ceremony at Wings Over the Rockies following a celebratory lunch at Spruce Street.

A Colorado man who received a heart transplant in 2021 is now training daily for a national cycling competition while using his story to advocate for organ donation during National Donate Life Month in April.

In downtown Denver, the “Dancers” at Sculpture Park were lit up in a special ceremony where people impacted by organ donation shared their stories. CBS Colorado’s Michael Spencer emceed Thursday’s event.

Kelsi was 23 when doctors diagnosed her with adult idiopathic scoliosis and told her she’d eventually lose the ability to walk.  Surgery was her only chance to live a normal life and a tissue donor was her best chance at a successful surgery.

Her pain was already debilitating, but with a curve that was increasing a degree each year, Kelsi was expected to have severe breathing problems by age 30.  When she went in for surgery in November of 2011, her back was at a 45 degree curve in both the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

Although the surgery came with no guarantees, Kelsi knew she had a good shot at an effective procedure and speedy recovery because of the gift she would receive from a donor, a gift from someone she would never meet. The surgery changed everything. Today, Kelsi is a mom to 2 kids, she was able to carry and chase them through their toddler years, and she now lives the kind of life she once worried might not be possible. That experience never left her. It shaped the way she sees the world and the way she gives back. Through her work with In Memoriam, a funeral home in Broomfield, Kelsi now helps families honor the lives of the people they love, telling stories that preserve memories and celebrate legacies. Saying yes to donation reaches further than we can see. Sometimes it helps someone stand taller. Sometimes it helps them build a life

“Going through with the surgery was the best thing I could have ever done,” she shared. “I think it’s safe to say that if I didn’t receive donor bone, I would be living a completely different life.”

April is National Donate Life Month, a national observance highlighting the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Flag-raising ceremonies bring awareness of what it means to be an organ donor and highlights the partnership between Donor Alliance and the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.

When Jeremy Mares applied for a driver’s license at 16, he registered to be an organ and tissue donor, thinking that he might one day be able to save someone’s life, he said.

Your organs or tissues can help save someone’s life. A flag raising ceremony was held at UCHealth Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs to recognize that April is National Donate Life Month.