April is National Donate Life Month. To celebrate, Donor Alliance, the federally designated nonprofit that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, is teaming up with the Colorado Rockies and legendary slugger and donation spokesman Vinny Castilla to host Donate Life Night at Coors Field on Saturday, April 25, during the Rockies vs. Giants game.

To kick off the event, two young transplant recipients, who are alive today due to their gifts of life, will throw out the first pitch of the game to Vinny Castilla. One of the recipients, Lella Young from Delta, CO, received a liver transplant when she was just eight months old due to a rare liver condition. Now a healthy seven year old, Lella is able to participate in all her favorite activities, including t-ball, swimming competitively and reading.

Other local transplant recipients from Colorado and Wyoming, and family members of heroic organ, eye and tissue donors will join in on a special opening ceremony on the field before the game. Information about organ, eye and tissue donation will be displayed on the stadium’s big screens throughout the game.

All Coloradans are invited to attend the game and stop by the interactive Donate Life Colorado booth located in Section 108 on the main concourse in the right field, where they can meet and take photos with Vinny Castilla, learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation, win prizes and more. Discounted tickets for the game can be purchased online while supplies last.

This event is just one of many happening around the state this month to celebrate donation and transplantation. On April 18, the premiere screening of “Source of Hope,” a documentary featuring a triple transplant recipient, will take place at the Lifetree Film Festival in Loveland. Additionally, Donor Alliance will be profiling a new story of hope every day this month as part of its 30 in 30 project, which features 30 local residents directly impacted by donation and transplantation.

“With a growing need for lifesaving transplants and more than 2,500 people waiting in Colorado alone, there is a continued need for more registered donors,” said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. “Throughout the year, but especially in April, we encourage Colorado residents to consider registering to be organ, eye, and tissue donors, and celebrate those who have already made the heroic choice to do so.”

Colorado individuals and businesses are also invited to join in on the month’s celebrations, especially on National Blue & Green Day, which takes place on Friday, April 17. On this day, the public is encouraged to wear blue and green in an effort to promote the success of organ, eye and tissue transplantation and the need for registered donors. Businesses interested in supporting the cause by displaying educational materials like fliers, posters, PSAs and more can access a toolkit of ready-to-produce materials at https://www.donoralliance.org/ndlm/.  Businesses even have the opportunity to receive recognition for their efforts in promoting donations and are encouraged to submit their planned Donate Life Month activities online.

Learn more ways to celebrate NDLM at https://www.donoralliance.org/ndlm/

Coloradans can register their decisions to be organ, eye and tissue donors in the following ways:

• Online at DonateLifeColorado.org
• At the Driver’s License Office, the next time you obtain or renew your driver’s license
• By calling 1-888-256-4386

About Donor Alliance

Donor Alliance is a nonprofit dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ procurement organization and accredited tissue bank for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals. The organization adheres to medical, regulatory and ethical standards: respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state’s donor registry. Colorado and Wyoming boast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved through organ and tissue transplantation.

Donor Alliance is one of 58 federally designated organizations of its kind in the United States, and is also an American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)-accredited tissue bank. For more information, please visit DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.