Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Photo by: Will Becque
Saluki Athletics to 'Go Green' with Mid-America Transplant for National Donate Life Month
04/05/2019 | 10:36:00 | Baseball, Softball
The Salukis will "Go Green" once again in April. Saluki Athletics is excited to partner with Mid-America Transplant on two Green Up Games during National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation while honoring and celebrating organ and tissue donors, donor families, and transplant recipients.
The Green Up Games will be held:
• Saturday, April 6: Softball vs. Evansville
• Tuesday, April 30: Baseball vs. Illinois
The three-year partnership is featured during National Donate Life Month, which highlights local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation. At each Green Up Game, fans will have the opportunity to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation and register their decision to be a donor. Mid-America Transplant is coordinating a pre-game ceremony dedicated to honoring organ and tissue donors.
"This is an exciting partnership for our organization," Mid-America Transplant President and CEO Diane Brockmeier said. " Carbondale and the communities of southern Illinois have shown remarkable generosity to help others through organ and tissue donation for many years. With the support of the Southern Illinois University Department of Athletics, we have the opportunity again to continue honoring organ and tissue donors, while also educating the public on the lifesaving benefits of donation."
The baseball and softball teams will wear Donate Life-themed uniforms during the Green Up Game. The Donate Life shades of green and blue represent ongoing efforts to increase the number of people registered as organ, eye, and tissue donors.
"We are thankful and appreciative for organ donors, and this is a very visible way for us to express our gratitude," SIU baseball head coach Ken Henderson said. "Hopefully, we can also bring more awareness and be a platform for this great cause to expand."Â
Mid-America Transplant is eager to partner with the Southern Illinois University Department of Athletics to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. Nearly 114,000 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant nationwide. In 2018, Mid-America Transplant recovered 629 lifesaving organs from 196 selfless, heroic organ donors. In addition, 1,986 tissue donors helped hundreds of thousands of people through the gifts of cornea, skin, bone, vein, and heart valves.
"With Jen Sewell having been diagnosed with PSC (primary sclerosing cholangitis) and potentially needing a liver down the road, as well as my family history of me trying to donate an organ to my brother before he passed away, this partnership is very, very important to us," SIU softball head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "Our Green Up Game is a hugely important event and it is a cause that we take very seriously. We would love everyone to sign up as organ donors and we want to shine a light on that now since April is National Donate Life Month."
About Mid-America Transplant
For 45 years, Mid-America Transplant has facilitated and coordinated organ and tissue donation, and now serves 84 counties covering eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and northeast Arkansas that together are home to 4.7 million people. It saves lives by providing expert and compassionate care for organ donors, donor families, and recipients. Through innovation and process improvements, the organization transformed the clinical processes to recover and transplant organs and tissues. Mid-America Transplant is federally designated as one of 58 such organizations in the U.S., and is the first organ and tissue procurement organization to be recognized as a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence. For more information, visit www.midamericatransplant.org.
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The Green Up Games will be held:
• Saturday, April 6: Softball vs. Evansville
• Tuesday, April 30: Baseball vs. Illinois
The three-year partnership is featured during National Donate Life Month, which highlights local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation. At each Green Up Game, fans will have the opportunity to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation and register their decision to be a donor. Mid-America Transplant is coordinating a pre-game ceremony dedicated to honoring organ and tissue donors.
"This is an exciting partnership for our organization," Mid-America Transplant President and CEO Diane Brockmeier said. " Carbondale and the communities of southern Illinois have shown remarkable generosity to help others through organ and tissue donation for many years. With the support of the Southern Illinois University Department of Athletics, we have the opportunity again to continue honoring organ and tissue donors, while also educating the public on the lifesaving benefits of donation."
The baseball and softball teams will wear Donate Life-themed uniforms during the Green Up Game. The Donate Life shades of green and blue represent ongoing efforts to increase the number of people registered as organ, eye, and tissue donors.
"We are thankful and appreciative for organ donors, and this is a very visible way for us to express our gratitude," SIU baseball head coach Ken Henderson said. "Hopefully, we can also bring more awareness and be a platform for this great cause to expand."Â
Mid-America Transplant is eager to partner with the Southern Illinois University Department of Athletics to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. Nearly 114,000 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant nationwide. In 2018, Mid-America Transplant recovered 629 lifesaving organs from 196 selfless, heroic organ donors. In addition, 1,986 tissue donors helped hundreds of thousands of people through the gifts of cornea, skin, bone, vein, and heart valves.
"With Jen Sewell having been diagnosed with PSC (primary sclerosing cholangitis) and potentially needing a liver down the road, as well as my family history of me trying to donate an organ to my brother before he passed away, this partnership is very, very important to us," SIU softball head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "Our Green Up Game is a hugely important event and it is a cause that we take very seriously. We would love everyone to sign up as organ donors and we want to shine a light on that now since April is National Donate Life Month."
About Mid-America Transplant
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