SPRINGFIELD –– Secretary of State Jesse White today
announced statewide activities scheduled for "Organ Donor
Awareness Week " April 16-22. White will launch efforts to
increase the number of participants in the state's organ
donor program with a fly-around to four cities that have
community-wide "Life Goes On" projects planned throughout
the year.
"The tremendous need for organ donors cannot be
stressed enough with 5,000 critically ill Illinois residents
currently awaiting organ transplants," said White.
Events are planned in each of the four areas – Peoria,
Bloomington/Normal, Champaign/Urbana and Carbondale.
In each of the "Life Goes On" cities, a committee of
activists in the transplant field has been working to
develop activities to increase community awareness and
participation. "This program is special," said White,
"because each group of people has put together projects that
will work in their own area."
Appearing with White in each city will be an individual
whose life has been profoundly impacted by the
transplantation issue: two organ recipients, a member of a
family who donated the organs of a loved one and the father
of a child who died before a donor could be found.
As part of the Secretary of State's efforts, radio and
television stations will be airing new ads featuring
Secretary White and Connie Payton, widow of Chicago Bears'
superstar Walter Payton, who died last year from liver
disease. Payton's emotional and honest treatment of his
illness has been instrumental in raising the rate of
individuals signing up for the organ donor program on their
driver's licenses.
In addition, the Secretary of State's organ donor
program is featured in a special edition of the Cubs 2000
baseball schedule which will be available at all driver's
license facilities throughout the state.
Among the many activities sponsored by the Secretary of
State's office to encourage organ donation is an annual
poster contest for Illinois school children of all ages.
The winners of this year's contest will be honored at a
special presentation on Wednesday, April 19, at the Illinois
State Library in Springfield. The awards will be presented
at 1:30 p.m.
To support "Organ Donor Awareness Week" activities, the
7-11 corporation is placing canisters in Chicago area stores
to raise funds for transplant needs.
Secretary White will give additional impetus to the
week's events by appearing at a Chicago Cubs game on April
15th with his sister who is a kidney recipient, and throwing
out the first ball at the Chicago White Sox game on April
22.
Although the Illinois' organ donor registry is the
largest in the nation, thousands of Illinois residents who
need transplants are unable to have life-saving transplants
because of the shortage of donors.
"Over 5,000 people in Illinois are waiting right now,"
said Secretary White. "Nationally, more than 68,000 need
organs to survive. Every 18 minutes, a new person is added
to the waiting lists, and 12 people die every day because
they didn't receive an organ in time." In Illinois, the
waiting list increases about 20% each year.
White suggests that all residents check their driver's
license to make sure that they are registered as potential
donors. "If you are, be sure to discuss your feelings with
your family," White said. "If you're not, call 1-800-210-
2106 and we'll make sure that you're added."
