Join Us In Our Life-Saving Mission

Every minute counts for the more than 5,000 children and adults waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in our region — your constituents, friends and neighbors.

Please join Gift of Life Donor Program’s mission to give everyone on the transplant waiting list a second chance at life. We are the nonprofit federally-designated organ procurement organization serving 11.3 million people in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. 

It takes a team of heroes — donors, donor families, Gift of Life staff, hospital partners, and community and government leaders like you — to save the lives of people on the organ waitlist. Thanks to our generous community, Gift of Life leads our nation in the number of organ donations for a remarkable 15 years in a row. But there is still much work to do. Seventeen Americans die each day waiting for a life-saving transplant. The power of each donor is extraordinary:

• One organ donor can save up to eight lives.
• One tissue donor can heal 100 people or more.

This April, National Donate Life Month, please join us in encouraging everyone to register to become an organ, tissue and cornea donor.

Below are upcoming highlights and sample posts to share with your constituents and network. For additional information, materials or speakers, please contact me directly.

Thank you for helping us save lives,
Dwendy Johnson, CVA
Community Relations Supervisor
Gift of Life Donor Program
djohnson@donors1.org

5 Easy Ways to Celebrate

National Donate Life Month

1. Share your support for saving lives: Sign up to become an organ donor. Let your family, friends and constituents know that donors are heroes with this sample social post:

April is National Donate Life Month. Join me in honoring donors, donor families, recipients, registered donors, caregivers and the more than 100K waiting for a second chance at life. Sign up to become an organ, tissue and cornea donor at donors1.org. #DonateLife #GiftofLife

2.  Donor Dash: Our signature 26th annual event will be held in Philadelphia on Sunday, April 16 and includes a virtual option so that supporters anywhere can help spread the inspiring message of Dash. All participants will receive a commemorative event T-shirt. Get more details at donordash.org and spread the word with this social post:

Join Gift of Life Donor Program for the 26th annual Donor Dash as part of National Donate Life Month to support organ and tissue donation. Walk or run with us in Philadelphia or from home on April 16. Every step you take will help save lives. Learn more at DonorDash.org. #DonateLife #DonorDash

3.  Celebrate National Blue & Green Day on Friday, April 14 and help raise awareness of organ donation: Wear Donate Life colors, decorate your office or front door and dress up your pets. Share lots of photos using hashtag #BlueGreenDay and tag @donors1.

4.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and share our inspiring stories. Scroll down for sample social posts!

5.  Learn more: Visit donors1.org and sign up for our engaging monthly eNews, which brings inspiration and information straight to your inbox.

Lives Saved & Healed

One Family, Many Gifts

Rafiah Cheeks received a life-saving liver transplant when he was just three years old, allowing him to live a life filled with family, love, sports and work. When his mother died more than 30 years later, he and his siblings knew how proud she would have been to know that she helped and healed others as a donor. Watch their inspiring story.

Honoring Donors & Donor Families

A Celebration of Heroes

More than 800 donor family members and Gift of Life supporters attended our Life & Legacy Celebrations throughout our region, which included both in person and virtual options. Every year, we take this special opportunity to pay tribute to our heroic donors and generous donor families. Click here to view the ceremony.

We honored the extraordinary life-saving and life-transforming legacy of our region’s organ, tissue and cornea donors. Donor families received the Gift of Life Donor Medal, matching lapel pins and a one-of-a-kind wrap handmade by local volunteers.

Gift of Life College Challenge

Students Save Lives

Students helped save lives across ten campuses as part of Gift of Life’s 2022 College Challenge, registering more than 400 new organ and tissue donors and raising awareness of donation through dozens of events and activities.

Students at Alvernia University in Reading, Pa. (pictured) won first prize for their “Pledge the Pack” campaign that included multiple events and a robust social media campaign. Second and third-prize winners were Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. Students at Bloomsburg University were honored for signing up the most new donors.

The 2023 College Challenge is now under way. We thank our participating schools and encourage you to support them in their life-saving outreach:

Alvernia University Chestnut Hill College Drexel University Juniata College Millersville University Moravian University Penn State University Park

Penn State-Harrisburg Susquehanna University Temple University Rowan University West Chester University Widener University University of Pennsylvania

Here’s a social post to recognize College Challenge schools in your legislative district:

Congratulations to students at insert college name(s) for helping to save lives by participating in Gift of Life Donor Program’s College Challenge! Join them in bringing hope to more than 100K children and adults waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Sign up to become a donor hero today at donors1.org/register. #donors1

Spread the Word

Social Posts to Help Save Lives

Help save lives by using the social posts below with hashtags #donatelife and #donors1. Click here for National Donate Life Month social media images and web banners. 

Post 1

More than 100K children & adults nationally are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race or medical history. It takes less than a minute to sign up at donors1.org. #donatelife #donors1

Post 2

The power of each donor is extraordinary. One organ donor can save 8 lives and a tissue donor can heal 100 others. Sign up to become a donor hero today at donors1.org. #donatelife #donors1

Post 3

Organ donation is the ultimate act of love and generosity. Learn more and sign up today at donors1.org. #donatelife #donors1

Post 4

Someone is added to the national organ transplant list every 10 minutes; you can sign up to become a donor hero in less than one minute at donors1.org. #donatelife #donors1

Post 5

95% of Americans say they support organ donation. Get the facts and sign up today at donors1.org. #donatelife #donors1