Annual 5K run/walk honors, celebrates & recognizes those impacted by donation
CASPER, Wyo. – April 20, 2024 – Today, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation for transplantation in most of Wyoming and Colorado, hosted its annual Wyoming Donor Dash with more than 330 Wyomingites at Tate Pumphouse. Supported by Banner Wyoming Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank, the annual 5K run/walk is held in April during National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about the importance of donation.
The 2024 Wyoming Donor Dash honored heroic organ and tissue donors and their families, celebrated the lives of transplant recipients, and recognized those who continue to wait for a lifesaving and healing transplant. Currently, nearly 150 Wyomingites are waiting for an organ transplant and thousands more are in need of a tissue transplant, which provides hope to those suffering from injury, disease, trauma or blindness.
“It’s remarkable to see the number of lives saved and healed in Wyoming through the gift of life,” said Jennifer Prinz, president and CEO, Donor Alliance. “Last year, the generosity of 307 heroic organ donors across Wyoming and Colorado provided 918 organ transplants. In addition, 1,703 tissue donors in the region provided more than 100-thousand tissue grafts to those in need. Wyomingites understand the importance of helping their neighbors and helping their community when they say, ‘yes’ to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at Driver Services.”
At the 2024 Wyoming Donor Dash, Donor Alliance was honored to host Casper residents Cary Galvin, donor sister, and heart recipient, Jason Wynia. Both Cary and Jason are Donor Alliance advocate for life volunteers who connect Wyomingites to the mission by sharing their stories to inspire residents to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
- Cary Galvin, donor sister: Cary’s younger brother, Michael, passed away in 2016 after suffering a brain aneurysm. His death was completely unexpected, and his family was left with sudden, overwhelming grief, but during the darkest time of their lives, there was one bright spot. Michael was able to save five lives with the donation of his lungs, heart and kidneys.
- Jason Wynia, heart recipient: Jason received a heart transplant in 2010 after having an unusual strain of pneumonia that led to congestive heart failure. Following his transplant, Jason was on the road to a full recovery within a matter of weeks. He’s thankful every day and works to honor his donor by keeping their memory alive, lending a helping hand whenever he can.
“At Banner Health, we’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact organ, eye and tissue donation can have on the lives of those in our community like Cary and Jason. Because of that impact, Wyoming Donor Dash is much more than just a race; it serves as a powerful symbol of hope and a celebration of life.” said Lance Porter, CEO, Banner Wyoming Medical Center. “As we come together to honor the generosity of heroic donors and their families, we are also reminded of the many patients still waiting on a transplant. Raising awareness of the importance of donation and the critical need for more donors is a community effort, and together, we can make a profound difference.”
Throughout April, Wyomingites have been coming together to share the importance of Donor Alliance’s mission of saving and healing lives. Cities and towns have been proclaiming April as “Donate Life Month”. Famous local spots including the iconic oil derrick and the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center on the University of Wyoming campus have been illuminated in blue and green, the colors of Donate Life. Many hospitals and organizations across the region have also been raising Donate Life flags to honor the gift of life. For more information, please visit DonorAlliance.org/ndlm.
About Donor Alliance
Donor Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation in Colorado and most of Wyoming. As a federally designated organ procurement organization – one of 56 in the U.S. – Donor Alliance serves more than 6.3 million residents and more than 120 hospitals. Donor Alliance walks alongside the family during the organ recovery process and ensures their loved one’s gifts are safely received at transplant centers in a timely manner. Donor Alliance also facilitates tissue donation to save and heal more lives across our community.
In addition, the organization maintains partnerships with hospitals and manages the Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming donor registries, which are symbols of the cause. Through Donate Life, Donor Alliance educates residents on the lifesaving benefits of donation, inspiring them to register. For more information, please visit DonorAlliance.org.
Behind the Spotify Playlist
Music has a way of connecting us all. In April, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit that facilitates organ and tissue donation for transplantation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, created a Spotify playlist for National Donate Life Month.
The playlist gives people an opportunity to listen to songs those connected to organ and tissue donation hold near to their hearts. For some, it’s their loved one’s favorite song who was a donor. For others, the song connects them to their transplant journey.
For Kristen Adcock, the song “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters reminds her of her son, Connor, who was a tissue donor. She added the song to the Spotify playlist as a tribute to him.
“’My Hero’ was Connor’s favorite song by his favorite band. It’s a song about an ordinary person being a hero,” said Kristen. “To me, organ and tissue donors are just ordinary people who are heroes. Connor is my hero.”
Kristen now has a tattoo with part of the song’s lyrics on her arm. She displays it with pride, knowing Connor’s legacy has not been forgotten. His lifesaving and healing gifts helped more than 50 people. Each year, tissue transplants provide hope to people suffering from injury, disease, trauma or blindness.
After Connor passed, Kristen joined Donor Alliance as an advocate volunteer, connecting people to the mission through her story and inspiring Coloradans to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Given Kristen’s clinical background and her passion about Donor Alliance’s mission to save and heal lives, she was hired as a donation consultant for the organization. Through her role, Kristen maintains Donor Alliance’s partnerships with hospitals in the Denver-Metro area.
About National Donate Life Month
Since 2003, Donor Alliance and the nation have been observing April as National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about the importance of donation. It’s also a month to honor the heroic donors and their families, like Connor, who said “yes” to organ, eye, and tissue donation. Nearly 1,300 people in Colorado and Wyoming are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in our community, and thousands more are in need of a lifesaving and healing tissue transplant.
Raising a Donate Life flag is the cornerstone of National Donate Life Month. When a donation occurs in a hospital, a Donate Life flag is often flown to honor the gift of life. During April, this cornerstone event expands beyond the hospital to include the entire community to raise a flag in unity, remembrance, and support. Cities and towns have also proclaimed April “Donate Life Month” to highlight the importance of registration to save and heal more lives in our communities. Locations across Colorado and Wyoming are illuminated in blue and green, the colors of Donate Life, including the Denver City & County Building and the Colorado State Capitol.
Donor Alliance encourages people to shine their own light at home to help raise awareness this month. You can request a free #ShineALight kit at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. The kit comes with a candle and sign to display in your window to highlight the need in our communities. This year, Donor Alliance is distributing 307 kits to honor the 307 heroic donors last year who provided more than 900 lifesaving organ transplants.
In 2023, there were also nearly 1,700 tissue donors who provided more than 100,000 tissue grafts to those in need.
How is Donor Alliance involved with National Donate Life Month?
Donor Alliance is a federally designated organ procurement organization – one of 56 in the United States. Donor Alliance honors a donor’s decision to give the gift of life and walks alongside the family during the organ recovery process to ensure their loved one’s gifts are safely received at transplant centers in a timely manner. Our organization also recovers tissue to save and heal more lives across our community. Additionally, Donor Alliance manages the Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming registries. Through Donate Life, the symbol of the cause, Donor Alliance educates and inspires the community about the importance of registering to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor.
How can you provide support to those on the waiting list?
You can register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor by saying Yes, the next time you obtain or renew your driver license/state ID or register today at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. The little heart with the Y on your driver license means you have joined the Donate Life registry. That little heart has a big impact – one person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation. So, it’s important to also discuss your decision with your family. During a difficult time, families have told Donor Alliance they found comfort knowing their loved one’s decision.
Donor Alliance and its advocate volunteer, Tony Young who is a heart and kidney recipient, appeared on 9NEWS in the 4pm newscast to raise awareness for National Donate Life Month. Donor Alliance encourages people to order a free #ShineALight kit this month to highlight the need at DonateLifeColorado.org.
A familiar face seen at driver license offices across Colorado shared her heartfelt tribute of receiving the gift of life during a National Donate Life Month flag raising ceremony hosted by the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles and Donor Alliance at the Department of Revenue’s main office in Lakewood.
Delta resident Lella Young may seem like your typical teenager, but she has a heart full of thanksgiving and is happy to share her story to all to make a difference and see her gift paid forward to others. Young, 16, was a speaker during a National Donate Life Month flag raising ceremony hosted by the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles and Donor Alliance at the Department of Revenue’s main office in Lakewood earlier this month.
