Donate Life Month 2009

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. Many 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 300 nurses, doctors and other medical professionals attended this year’s gala celebration, held at the Palace at Somerset Park. Lackland Storage also generously donated radio spots about organ donation that played around the state on 101.5 FM. Medical Centers and local establishments also proudly flew Donate Life flags in front of their buildings.

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.

Meadowlands Hospital proudly displayed the Donate Life Flag throughout the month of April as part of the Flags Across America initiative.	Salt Creek Grille once again hosted an organ donation fundraiser and awareness evert at their two restaurants.
To commemorate Donate Life Month and Nurses Week, Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC) had a Donate Life Ceremony. Shown above are JCMC staff along with the flag which was later flown outside the hospital. In attendance were NJ Sharing Networks's Joe Roth, Zadith Colon, and Jan Hines. Special guest speaker was Joanie Brandon, a liver transplant recipient that has been part of the JCMC staff for 15 years.	Ronald Griffin, heart recipient, visited the RN Staff at Somerset Medical Center to inspire them by showing them living proof of their life-saving work.
Somerset Medical Center also had organ and tissue donation information available throughout the month.	Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick had organ and tissue donation information available throughout the month. Pictured here is heart recipient and NJ Sharing Network volunteer, Shirley Brown (left) and PICU Manager Linda Palkowski.
Organizations like the Clara Barton First Aid Squad showed their support by adding special messages about organ and tissue donation to their marquees and message boards throughout the month.

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