March on Capitol to celebrate life-saving organ donations, raise awareness of need for transplants

The Grand Rapids Press | Sue Thoms

A celebration of organ donation planned for Sept. 29 in Lansing will recognize the recent boost in organ donor registrations while reminding people that nearly 3,000 people in the state await transplants.

Donor families, transplant recipients and patients waiting for a transplant will gather for the first Donate Life Capitol Celebration to promote organ, tissue and eye donation. The public is welcome to the event. Those interested may call 800-482-4881 for more information.

The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to noon, will include a march to the Capitol steps. Secretary of State Ruth Johnson will talk about the sharp increase in the number of people on Michigan's organ donor registry since April, when clerks at Secretary of State offices began asking customers if they would like to join the registry.

The state has seen double-digit increases in registrations every month since then. In August, a record 44,101 people signed up as organ donors, a 40 percent increase over 2010. The state donor registry has 2.3 million people.

Johnson will receive a Gift of Life Foundation Community Service Award.

The event is sponsored by Gift of Life Michigan, the Michigan Eye-Bank, the Donate Life Coalition of Michigan and the Michigan Donor Family Council.

Those interested in adding their name to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry may go to Gift of Life's website and click on “become a donor.”

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/health/index.ssf/2011/09/march_on_capitol_to_celebrate.html