Local Charities and Events for Organ Donation

Organ donation is so important to the tremendous number of people waiting for life-saving organ transplants. Some organs such as part of a liver or a kidney can be donated by a living donor, but most donations occur after the donor has died after having given consent while alive or the next of kin giving that consent after death.

What Happens to the Organs?

The donation may be used for research, but, more commonly, healthy transplantable organs may be donated to become a miracle for another person. In the United States alone, approximately 120,000 men, women, and children are on a transplant list waiting for an organ to save their lives.

How Can You Help?

Becoming an organ donor simply means filling out a quick registration form online or at your local Department of Motor Vehicles office and having an official organ donor badge on your driver’s license or state ID card.

Special Events

Even if you are not on a donor list yourself for some reason, you and your family and friends can be of great assistance by attending events that are held in order to raise money.

Here are just two examples:

• National Kidney Foundation Golf Classic
  • At this annual Premier Amateur Golf Event for Charity, thousands of golfers participate in more than 30 local events and have a chance to qualify for the National Finals at Pebble Beach, which this year will be January 18 through 21, 2018. Those participating golfers raise more than $3.5 million each year.
• Elephant Rock Cycling Festival - 30th Anniversary
  • June 4, 2017 - Castle Rock, Colorado — Riders of all ages participate in races that run anywhere from 7 to 100 miles. The after party features a cycling expo, prizes, a picnic lunch, and music.

Who Do You Contact?

One organ donor could possibly save up to eight lives. At Breathe for Charles, we encourage individuals to pledge to be an organ donor and save someone else’s life.

One night in January 2016, Charles Espinoza was at his work in a Texas refinery when an explosion occurred. Charles suffered nearly fatal burns, and the fire damaged his lungs permanently and beyond repair. He would need a lung transplant if he was to survive. Charles was extremely fortunate because he was matched with a lung donor, and the complicated surgery was deemed a success. Although he still has to face a difficult and long road of recovery, at least he can breathe, thanks to his donor.

Sign the pledge to become an organ donor today.