Donate Life Month 2008

The month of April is officially recognized as National Donate Life Month. Each year, this entire month is used to honor those lives saved and enhanced through donation and to call attention to the needs of those who still await a second chance at life. This year, Donate Life Month featured close to 90 awareness events at hospitals, businesses and educational institutions. Nearly 40 of these awareness events took place at Motor Vehicle Agencies around the state. Volunteers and staff of NJ Sharing Network highlighted the need to say “yes” to donation when first obtaining and renewing a driver's license or state identification card at the Motor Vehicle Commission.

April also featured events such as our “Circle of Life” Celebration which honors medical professionals for outstanding dedication and commitment to helping save lives through organ donation. Close to 400 nurses, doctors and other medical professionals attended this year’s gala celebration, held at the PNC Bank Arts Center. The Arts Center proudly displayed the Donate Life Month Message on the signs located at their exit on the Garden State Parkway. The New Jersey Turnpike also displayed billboards featuring life-saving donation messages during the first two weeks of April. The township of Summit proudly displayed a banner proclaiming to residents that “Organ Donation Save Lives!” Finally, many of our hospital partners displayed banners and posters promoting organ and tissue donation.

Below are select photos from some of our featured events. If you would like information on how you can support NJ Sharing Network and Sharing Network Foundation's efforts to increase organ and tissue donation in New Jersey, please contact the Public Affairs Department at NJ Sharing Network at 1-800-SHARE-NJ or email us at info@sharenj.org.

The Circle of Life Celebration is held annually during Donate Life Month at the PNC Bank Arts Center. This year the Center featured a special message about organ donation that was displayed throughout April.	Summit Township displayed this banner promoting organ donation the first week of April.
On April 23rd, Somerset Medical Center had an all-day awareness table outside their cafeteria. Pictured here are NJ Sharing Network volunteers and hospital staff.	On April 27th, the Salt Creek Grille Restaurants in both Princeton and Rumson hosted donor awareness events in support of the US Transplant Games.
Our building always “dresses up” for Donate Life Month!	NJ Sharing Network held its first ever “Take Your Child to Work Day” on April 24. Children of staff members learned first hand about their parent’s life-saving work. Here are some of the kids suited up for a tour of the laboratory.
Volunteers and NJ Sharing Network employees staffed close to 40 tables at Motor Vehicle Agencies around the state encouraging residents to add the donor designation to their driver’s license or state ID card.