DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS-PENNSYLVANIA

Upcoming Events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Highlight Need for Minority Organ Donors

 

 

Aug. 1, 2010 Designated as National Minority Donor Awareness Day

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Minority Donor Awareness Day, the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) will host a Celebration of Praise Gospel Fest on July 31, 2010. The event, which begins at 6 p.m., will take place at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, 980 Liberty Ave., downtown Pittsburgh.  

"While candidates can match a donor from another racial or ethnic group, transplant success rates increase when organs are matched between members of the same ethnic background," said CORE's Susan A. Stuart, President and CEO of CORE. "Consequently, a lack of organs donated by multicultural populations can contribute to longer waiting periods for transplantation. Therefore it is imperative that we share this very important message with all Pennsylvanians and work together to increase the number of organ and tissue donors across the commonwealth."

Speakers for this event will include Bishop Reverend Dr. Loren E Mann of the Pentecostal Temple and CORE's Susan Stuart. Gospel groups from Pennsylvania will be performing, including Phillip Carter and the Sounds of Victory.  Mr. Carter and his ensemble are the 2010 winners of the National Recording Artist and Stellar Award honors.

The following day, Aug. 1, Gift of Life (GOL) Donor Program will host its 15th Annual Gospel Concert and Vigil at Yesha Ministries Worship Center, 2308 Snyder Ave. in Philadelphia, 5 p.m.  This free event will feature several musical groups from the local gospel community coming together to sing the praises of donation.  As part of the program, candles will be lit to honor the thousands of individuals waiting for a life-saving transplant and raise awareness in the minority community about the critical need for more African-American and Hispanic donors. 

"Minority patients comprise more than half of the national transplant waiting list. For instance, African Americans and other minorities are three times more likely to suffer from end-stage renal disease than Caucasians, but 73 percent of organ donors are Caucasian," said GOL's Howard M. Nathan, President and CEO. "Since some diseases of the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas and liver that are best treated through transplantation are found more frequently in multicultural populations, therefore there is an even greater need to increase the number of minority organ and tissue donors, not only in Pennsylvania but nationwide."

First recognized by President Clinton in 1996, National Minority Awareness Day is designated to reach out to minorities and focus on the various fears and obstacles associated with organ donation, encourage healthy living and disease prevention, and promote life-saving organ, eye and tissue donation.

For more information on organ and tissue donation or to add the organ donor designation to your driver's licenses or state identification cards, visit www.donatelife-pa.org.