Articles from Donor Alliance

April marks National Donate Life Month, a special time to honor heroic organ, eye and tissue donors and their families, while raising awareness about the life-saving impact of donation. Donor Alliance, the nonprofit facilitating organ and tissue donation for transplantation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, observes the month each year alongside communities nationwide. Last year, 311 organ donors from the region made 947 life-saving transplants possible, highlighting the critical need for more registered donors.

For the tenth consecutive year, Donor Alliance has reached a life-changing milestone in its mission to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation across Colorado and most of Wyoming. In 2024, the selfless generosity of 311 organ donors from the region led to 947 life-saving organ transplants, marking a 1.3% increase over the previous year.

In its continued dedication to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation, Donor Alliance today presented the prestigious 2024 Community of Excellence Award to Eaglecrest High School in Aurora and its dedicated teacher, Niki Kigerl. The award, given annually, honors an individual or organization in Colorado or Wyoming that excels in inspiring and educating others about the importance of organ and tissue donation. Last year, Kigerl stood out for her unwavering commitment to the cause, motivating countless students to learn about the life-saving impact of organ and tissue donation, including the significance of the heart on a driver license. For more than a decade, Kigerl has impacted nearly 20,000 students through Donor Alliance’s Transplantation Science Program, which offers 6th through 12th graders an engaging, hands-on curriculum about the science behind organ and tissue donation.

Registering as an organ and tissue donor is a vital step in Donor Alliance’s mission to save and heal lives. In Colorado, nearly all organ and tissue donor registrations are processed through driver license offices. To honor the critical role these offices play in the donation process, today, Donor Alliance presented the 2024 DMV Appreciation Award to Rosie Gum of the Colorado Springs State Driver License Office. Each year, Donor Alliance recognizes a DMV team member who goes above and beyond to inspire customers to give the gift of life and embodies the spirit of donation within their office culture.

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.

This month, locations across Colorado and Wyoming will transform into a palette of blue and green while Donate Life flags fly high into the sky. They will serve as reminders of the difference one person’s decision can make when they say “yes” to registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor. For more than 20 years, Donor Alliance - the nonprofit that facilitates organ and tissue donation for transplantation – and the nation have been observing April as National Donate Life Month. It's a time to honor heroic donors and their families for giving the gift of life and to raise awareness about the importance of donation.

A Uinta County father and son’s diligence to raise awareness around organ, eye, and tissue donation can now be seen on vehicles across Wyoming. Bryson Quinney, a young heart recipient, and his father Eric Quinney championed a Donate Life specialty license plate in Wyoming with the help of state lawmakers to spark conversations across the state about the power of donation. This month, Donor Alliance was proud to announce the new specialty plate in Wyoming has launched. Donor Alliance’s mission is to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation in most of Wyoming and Colorado. The new license plate will serve as a “rolling” billboard to inspire more Wyomingites to say Yes to registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.

For the ninth consecutive year, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, achieved a record-setting milestone by saving and healing more lives than ever before in 2023. The generosity of 307 heroic organ donors from across Colorado and Wyoming resulted in 918 organ transplants, a 10.6% increase over 2022.

Today, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organization saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, hosted a send-off “rose” ceremony for its Advocate for Life volunteer, Rhonda Hill of Douglas, Wyoming. On New Year’s Day, Rhonda, a kidney, pancreas and bone recipient, will put a local face to the cause during the nationally televised 2024 Rose Parade. Rhonda will be aboard the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade float, which is celebrating 21 years on the Rose Parade. The float is part of a national campaign to share the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation with millions of people who either visit Pasadena or tune in to watch the Rose Parade every year from across the nation and around the world.

Registration as an organ and tissue donor is a crucial component to Donor Alliance’s mission of saving and healing lives in the region. In Colorado, nearly all organ and tissue donor registrations come through driver license offices. To recognize this important step in the donation process, today, Donor Alliance presented its 2023 DMV Appreciation Award to the Westminster Driver License Office. Each year, Donor Alliance honors a Colorado driver license office or employee from each region for going above and beyond to inspire customers to give the gift of life as well as embodying the power of donation in their office culture.

Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organization saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, is pleased to announce Donor & Family Services Manager Serena Altamirano will be advancing the organization’s mission within diverse communities on a national level. Altamirano was recently appointed to the 2023-2025 Governing Board of Directors for the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT). The national organization is dedicated to supporting partners around the country in the transplant field as they work to support those waiting for a life-saving organ transplant within multicultural communities.

Today, Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence (RMPEx) presented its 2023 Pete Reicks Leadership Award to Grace Harcek, director of performance excellence at Donor Alliance, for her tireless pursuit ensuring the organization’s efforts are aligned on its mission of saving and healing lives for organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Colorado and most of Wyoming. Each year, the award recognizes an individual whose performance excellence leadership and behaviors provide a role model for others. As director of performance excellence, Harcek collaborates with each department at Donor Alliance to evaluate and continuously improve systems and processes across the nonprofit organization.

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.

Donor Alliance, the federally designated non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, is hosting the 24th annual Donor Dash 5K at Denver’s Washington Park on Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 8 a.m. Participants of all ages are invited to come together to honor the lives of organ, eye and tissue donors, celebrate the lives of transplant recipients, and recognize those that continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.

Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organ and tissue procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming, has been named by The Denver Post as a 2023 Top Workplace for the tenth year. Donor Alliance was also awarded the Best at Making Work Meaningful designation by scoring highest on the question “My job makes me feel like I am a part of something meaningful,” with employees reporting that they feel clued in and supported by their leaders.

In a strong display of commitment, the Colorado State Government will today declare its support for organ, eye and tissue donation by becoming the nation’s first Donate Life Community state. Working alongside Donor Alliance—the federally designated non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado—the state’s efforts will raise awareness and advocacy for donation while honoring the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors and their families, and celebrating transplant recipients.

This April, Colorado and Wyoming residents and businesses are ‘Shining a Light’ to show support for organ, eye and tissue donation with light displays, proclamations and flag raising events to honor, celebrate, and recognize National Donate Life Month. Participating organizations—including area hospitals and city landmarks—will be illuminated in blue and green light displays throughout the month to raise awareness for the cause. Local governments throughout Colorado and Wyoming are also declaring April Donate Life Month in their cities. The annual Donate Life Month celebration honors the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors and their families while celebrating transplant recipients and recognizing those who continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.

A bill bringing “Donate Life” specialty license plates to Wyoming has been signed into law by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. Senators Wendy Schuler and Fred Baldwin and Representatives Ryan Berger and Jon Conrad sponsored the bill, and Governor Gordon affirmed the work of Wyoming’s state legislature by signing 2023 (SF0038) Special license plates – organ donation into law on February 27. The specialty plates will bring awareness to organ and tissue donation and inspire others to give the gift of life by registering as donors at Driver Services. The law is effective July 1, 2023. Wyoming joins 29 other states that offer license plates supporting this cause.

Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organ and tissue procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming, recorded another record-breaking year for organ donation with 829 life-saving organs transplanted in 2022. The generosity of Coloradans and Wyomingites marked the region’s eighth consecutive year of growth and helped to contribute to a historic milestone as the U.S. officially surpassed one million transplants, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

In a robust display of grassroots support, the Aurora city government is declaring its support for organ, eye and tissue donation. These efforts are in support of the need to raise awareness and advocacy for donation, while honoring the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors and their families. This proclamation also commemorates all transplant donors and recipients in the Aurora community.

Organ, eye and tissue donor, Tanner Denton of Grand Junction, Colo. will represent the Centennial State as a floragraph honoree on the 2023 Donate Life Rose Parade® float on January 2. The Donate Life community is celebrating its 20th year of participation in the iconic Rose Parade New Year’s Day celebrations, which have made the Donate Life Rose Parade float the world’s most visible campaign to inspire donation. Denton’s floragraph will be among 44 floral memorial portraits of organ, eye and tissue donors from across the country that will adorn the float.

Donor Alliance, the federally designated organ procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming, has added Dr. Steven Rudich, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S. to its organ recovery surgical team. A veteran in the organ procurement industry, Dr. Rudich has extensive experience as an organ recovery surgeon and brings more than two decades of abdominal transplant experience to his role.

The 23nd annual Donor Dash 5K hosted by Donor Alliance, the federally designated non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming returns to Denver’s Washington Park on Sunday, July 17, 2022 at 8 a.m. After a pause on in-person events that began in 2019, the run/walk is back to full capacity with participants of all ages from across the nation coming together to honor the lives of organ, eye and tissue donors, celebrate the lives of transplant recipients and recognize those that continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.

Donor Alliance, the federally designated organ procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming, today announced that Dr. Paul Lange, M.D., F.C.C.P. has joined the executive leadership team as chief medical officer. Dr. Lange brings nearly three decades of clinical experience to the role as well as extensive involvement in graduate and undergraduate medical education.

In honor of National Donate Life Month this April, Donor Alliance is inviting Wyoming residents to celebrate the gift of life by raising awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation at events across Wyoming. Ranging from the upcoming Wyoming Donor Dash event on April 23rd at the Tate Pumphouse to celebrations at Driver Services and hospitals across Wyoming, there are plenty of opportunities for Wyoming residents to honor the lives of donors, celebrate the lives of recipients and raise awareness for those still waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

In honor of National Donate Life Month, Donor Alliance invites Colorado and Wyoming residents and organizations to ‘Shine a Light’ to show support for organ, eye and tissue donation with light displays and flag raising events throughout the month of April. Each year, the month-long celebration acknowledges the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors and their families while celebrating transplant recipients and honoring those still waiting on a transplant. Participating organizations—including area hospitals, DMV offices, the Denver City and County building and the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center in Laramie—will be awash with blue and green light displays throughout the month to raise awareness for the cause.

In 2021, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organ and tissue procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming, facilitated more organ transplants than ever before, helping save the lives of 642 people through organ donation and saving and healing thousands more through tissue donation. Marking the region’s seventh consecutive year of growth, the generosity of Coloradoans and Wyomingites contributed to a historic milestone as the U.S. officially surpassed 40 thousand transplants in one year, according to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

On New Year’s Day, heart and kidney transplant recipient, Tony Young from Parker will represent Colorado on the 19th annual Donate Life Rose Parade float in the nationally televised Rose Parade. The Parade returns to the streets of Pasadena after a reimagined event replaced the annual tradition in 2021 due to pandemic precautions. The float has become the world’s most visible campaign to inspire donation. Tony will be joined by several other participants from across the country whose lives have also been touched by donation and transplantation.