What is National Donate Life Month?
National Donate Life Month (NDLM) was established in the United States in 2003 by Donate Life America, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and activate the public to register to become organ, eye, and tissue donors. Every year during the month of April, Donate Life America, organ procurement organizations, and industry partners like Organ Recovery Systems honor those who have given the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation.
Each year has a theme, and this year’s Donate Life Month is using trees as a symbol of all the connection between donors, recipients, and their families. Every donor can save up to 8 lives and enhance over 75 more by becoming an organ donor.
How can I participate in Donate Life Month?
The easiest way to participate in NDLM is to register to become an organ donor, via the website registerme.org. According to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, there are roughly 103,000 men, women, and children on the national transplant waiting list.
Outside of registering to become a donor, Donate Life America facilitates celebrations to encourage Americans to register as donors, including Donate Life Living Donor Day on April 1, and a Blue & Green Spirit Week on April 4-11, with each day of the week dedicated to a special theme or cause.
If you would like to participate locally, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations has an interactive map to find the organ procurement organization (OPO) located in your state. These OPOs will have ways to get involved on the local level, not just during Donate Life Month, but year-round too. Events can include fun runs, volunteer opportunities, scholarships, golf tournaments and more. All these events aim to honor heroic donors, support recipients, and celebrate the power of donation.
How is ORS supporting Donate Life America and our partners?
At Organ Recovery Systems (ORS), we have the privilege of working closely with OPOs and transplant centers to protect gifts of life with innovative preservation technologies and solutions. Throughout National Donate Life Month, ORS is sponsoring various events around the U.S. with teams of employees participating to support our partners. We are also encouraging employee participation in NDLM by sharing volunteer opportunities and distributing blue and green shirts to wear during spirit week. Together we can bring awareness to the importance of registering to become a donor, and the lasting impact it can have on recipients.
ORS employees from across the U.S. and Europe participated in Blue & Green Day in 2025
Some events during NDLM that ORS has provided sponsorship for and will be participating in include:
Infinite Legacy Donate Life Family Fun Run, April 4th
Infinite Legacy is the OPO for Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Its annual family friendly fun run welcomes thousands from the DMV area to connect and find community with others impacted by organ, eye, and tissue donation. ORS has provided sponsorship and will have a team of ten participating this year, including local employees with their family and friends.
Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency Racing for Donation 5K/8K, April 11th
The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) is hosting this annual run at The District at Eastover in Jackson. ORS has provided sponsorship in support of our partners at MORA.
Cream City 5K, April 26th
This nonprofit was founded in 2015 by double lung transplant recipient Jesse Pagels, with proceeds donated to Versiti Organ and Tissue. Sadly, Jesse passed away in 2024, but his legacy continues through this event. The Cream City 5k is a family friendly race held annually, and since its inception has donated over $150,000 to help support organ, tissues and eye donation in southeastern Wisconsin. ORS will be sponsoring and have racers participating in this event.
Gift of Life Donor Program – Donor Dash, April 26th
The 29th Annual Donor Dash will be held at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia and celebrates the live-saving power of organ donation. There are options for all participants, including 10K and 5K runs and a 3K walk. ORS will have team members from our LifePort Preservation Center participating in the events.
ORS employees at various sponsored events in 2025, including Howie’s House Home Cook Heroes and the Gift of Life Donor Dash
Our philanthropic efforts don’t stop with National Donate Life Month. ORS supports the gift of donation year-round; with additional sponsorships and events we will be attending throughout the year, including but not limited to:
Gift of Life Michigan – Champions Gala, May 1st
The annual Champions Gala recognizes people and organizations supporting organ, eye, and tissue donation at the highest level. The awards represent every aspect of the donation process from efforts to grow the donor registry to work at schools, hospitals, transplant centers and more.
DonorConnect – Heart of the West Gala and Concert, May 15th
The western-style evening hosted by the DonorConnect Foundation will be set against the stunning backdrop of the Mountain West, where guests will take part in a program full of moments honoring the gift of donation.
New England Donor Services – Golf Outing, June 8th
The OPO’s golf outing takes place at Juniper Hills Golf Course in Northborough, MA, and ORS will be sending a foursome to hit the links.
Transplant Life Foundation – Transplant Games of America, June 18th
The Transplant Games of America is a national, multi-sport event held every two years, bringing together thousands of transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, caregivers, and supporters from across the country to participate.
Together with our partners across the country, Organ Recovery Systems is proud to honor the donors, families, and advocates who make lifesaving transplantation possible. By celebrating and supporting Donate Life Month, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the donation community and recipients and helping expand the gift of life for those who need it most. We will continue to dedicate our time and resources year-round to raising awareness about the benefits of organ, eye, and tissue donation, hopefully inspiring more people to register as donors and extend their lifesaving impact.