2017 Annual Report
2017 Annual Report
We partnered on dozens of events throughout our region in 2017, raising funds, inspiring hope and increasing awareness about donation and transplantation.
We hope you'll make plans to join us at an event in 2018!
When someone becomes a donor through LifeSource, their family becomes part of our family. One of the ways we provide support and resources to our LifeSource donor families is by hosting Donor Family Gatherings in each state annually. These events are an opportunity to honor the gifts of donation so generously given and recognize the complexities of the grief journey.
In 2017, we hosted Gatherings in Sioux Falls, SD; Bismarck, ND; and Chaska, MN with more than 730 people RSVPing for these special events. Our guest speaker was Donna Mathiowetz, who shared her own story of loss and grief while teaching attendees what she’s learned during her 25-year journey.
LifeSource Donate Life Ambassadors and staff gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol on March 21st for a day of advocacy. Our goal was to thank legislators for their past and continued support for donation, specifically helping Minnesota become the first state in the nation to allow residents to register as a donor when receiving their hunting and fishing license online.
Legislative relationships are critically important to sustaining a culture of donation in our community through the systems and processes that make donation happen for people in need.
Across our region, we celebrated Donate Life Blue & Green Day on April 21st, a nationwide effort to promote the success of organ, eye and tissue transplantation as well as to recognize the extreme need for registered donors.
Drivers license professionals in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota especially got in the spirit of raising awareness, underscoring the importance of our ongoing partnership.
We hosted a fundraiser for our simulation lab on July 18, 2017 with the new University of Minnesota football coach, P.J. Fleck. The event raised $50,000 for our mobile SIM Lab project, which helps educate our 50-member organ procurement team.
The lab uses situational simulations to train our donation coordinators in an average of 88 days—down from an average 110-day training period when conducted in the field. This project was generously funded in part by a $20,000 grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation.
After his collapse, John arrived at St. Luke’s Hospital and a week later Barbie and his family learned his injuries were not survivable. They met with our team to discuss John’s donation options and on January 15, John passed away and gave the gift of his eyes, tissue, bones and bone marrow.
“We thought we had found forever,” wrote Barbie on John’s CaringBridge page. See more of Barbie’s story in the video we produced about John’s generosity and legacy.
We partnered with the Minnesota Twins and the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness for donation at Donate Life Day with the Minnesota Twins on August 18, 2017. Coupled with the Twins Annual Rod Carew Day, LifeSource leadership, Rod Carew and his donor family participated in a press conference before the game to tell the story of donation and its impact on both recipients and donor families.
In total, 206 people joined us for this fun and inspiring event. Donate Life Day with the Minnesota Twins will take place again this year on August 17th against the Detroit Tigers. Purchase your tickets today and join us!
Our 22nd Annual LifeSource Golf Classic on September 18, 2017 was a huge success. The event started in 1995 in support of organ and tissue donation education and in honor of Terri Opp, a young woman who died while waiting for a heart transplant.
Since 1996 more than $1.86 million has been raised to bring education about donation to people across our service area and to provide services to donor families. We hope you’ll join us in 2018: the 23rd Annual Golf Classic will be held September 17, again at Majestic Oaks Golf Club.