More than 15 events held this year to inspire Aurorans to register as an organ & tissue donor.

AURORA, Colo. – October 6, 2023 – In alignment with Donor Alliance’s mission to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, today, the nonprofit organization presented its 2023 Donor Alliance Community of Excellence Award to the City of Aurora and its Mayor, Mike Coffman. The Donor Alliance Community of Excellence Award recognizes an exceptional individual or organization in the region committed to inspiring and educating their residents about making the decision to give the gift of life. This year, Aurora showed its commitment by becoming Colorado’s first Donate Life Community – a program that utilizes grassroots efforts in communities to create a culture where donation is embraced. More than 18 events have been held so far in Aurora this year to start the conversation around the power of donation.

“I’m proud and honored to recognize Mayor Mike Coffman and the City of Aurora,” said Jennifer Prinz, president, and CEO of Donor Alliance. “Aurora is creating an environment where residents feel well informed to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor when they go to the DMV. More than 1,500 people in our region are still waiting for a lifesaving transplant, so it is critical we continue to speak out in our communities on the importance of the cause. Donor Alliance is excited to see what our partnership brings to Aurora for years to come.”

This year, Mayor Coffman also proclaimed April as “Donate Life Month” in Aurora, and for the first time, raised a Donate Life flag to honor the generous gifts from donors and their families, celebrate alongside recipients who received a second chance at life, and recognize those waiting for a lifesaving transplant in Colorado.

“As home to two major transplant centers with the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora needs to be a foundational advocate in raising awareness around donation with our diverse community,” said Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman. “On behalf of our city, I’m proud to accept this award. From Summer of Imagination to Global Fest, we will continue to encourage donor registration at city events to benefit underrepresented communities. I am thankful for all Aurorans who have already gone through the simple steps to register as organ, eye and tissue donors, and hope others learn more about the benefits of donor registration through our partnership.”

One person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 more through tissue donation. Last year, 278 donors in our region saved more than 700 lives through organ donation and nearly 2,000 more tissue donors were able to save and heal more 143,000 people.

About Donor Alliance

Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation. The organization is an organ and tissue recovery agency for Colorado and most of Wyoming – one of 56 federally designated in the U.S. – and serves more than 6.3 million residents and 117 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. In addition, the organization maintains partnerships with hospitals, educates residents on the life-saving benefits of donation, and inspires people to register to be a donor at Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming, which are symbols of the cause. For more information, please visit DonorAlliance.org.