2018 Annual Report
2018 Annual Report
Throughout the year, people across our region join us at dozens of events to raise funds, inspire hope and increase awareness about donation and transplantation.
We invite you to join us at an event this year!
A variety of events took place throughout the year and across our service area. Some focused on education and awareness while others raised funds to support LifeSource.
Family members and friends of donors or transplant recipients hosted events in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to raise awareness about the importance of donation. From events like “Recycle Yourself 5K” to the “Pull for Papa Sporting Clay Tournament,” each event honored loved ones while inspiring others to register as donors and raising funds for our education and donor family support programs.
In 2018, over $68,000 was raised through 23 separate community fundraising events. Whether large or small events, we are grateful for the support of our extended community and inspired by the power of personal stories of hope and healing.
Learn more about hosting your own educational or fundraising event with our Event Kit and join our growing community.
2018 saw the third annual Recycle Yourself 5K. Each year, the community of Dickinson, North Dakota comes together to raise money and awareness for organ and tissue donation.
The Recycle Yourself 5K was inspired by two Dickinson families: the Theurer family, who tragically lost their son, brother, nephew and grandson Kevin, 20, in a car accident, and decided to donate Kevin’s organs in order to save lives; and the Torstenson family, who received the gift of a kidney donation for Tyler.
Years later, the gift of organ donation still brings peace to the Theurer family. One of Kevin’s recipients even makes the trip from Minneapolis to be a part of the event, where he’s able to join in the walk with the help of the lungs he received.
The fourth annual Recycle Yourself 5K is scheduled for September 2019—we hope to see you in Dickinson!
On May 19 as spring was in full stride, donor families, recipients and members of our community joined together for an open-house style event in the Healing Garden at our Minneapolis headquarters. Starting with a Donate Life flag raising ceremony, we then unveiled the newest names added to our Memorial Wall.
Everybody is invited to join us at our next Healing Garden Ceremony on May 18, 2019.
Learn how to have your loved one’s name inscribed on the Memorial Wall, a special recognition of their selfless gift. The Memorial Wall exclusively honors donors who gave the gift of organ, eye or tissue donation.
Throughout the year, the LifeSource team was busy participating in community events around the region. Events like Open Streets, Rondo Days, the Native American Community Clinic Fair and May Day gave us opportunities to promote donor designation and expand our range of reaching unregistered donors.
Part of our outreach strategy, these kinds of events let us meet people and inspire conversations about the life-saving impact of the decision to donate.
2018 saw the most additions yet to our Gallery of Hope: 44 new stories came online from donor families, recipients, and people awaiting transplants.
Participation in the Gallery of Hope is available to everyone impacted by donation and transplantation. Sharing your loved one’s story honors their memory and conveys a message of hope – that everyone shares the gift of life. Become part of our gallery and add your story today!
Every other year, the Donate Life Transplant Games celebrate the lives of organ donors and recipients while highlighting the critical importance of donation through an Olympic-style sports competition. To support the 25 transplant recipients who represented Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota at the games, we held a fundraiser on June 14 featuring special guest Chad Greenway and his Lead the Way Foundation.
Through sponsors and supporters, this incredible event raised $34,776 to support the team, and was filled with inspiring stories from members of Team MN-DAK. Event attendees heard from Anna duSaire, a pediatric liver recipient who recently graduated from high school, and donor mom Patti Harvey, whose son gave the gift of life, among others.
The next Donate Life Transplant Games will be held July 17–22, 2020 at the New Jersey Meadowlands.
The second annual John Galo Memorial 5K benefitting LifeSource was held in Duluth, Minnesota and raised nearly $5,000 to support our efforts. John passed away on January 15, 2017 and gave the gift of his eyes, tissue, bones and bone marrow.
Learn more about John’s story in a video we produced, and join John’s friends and family at the third annual 5K on June 10, 2019 in Duluth.
In honor of James (Jim) Mueller, friends and family gathered at the Wild Marsh Sporting Clays just outside of Clearwater, Minnesota to take part in an activity that Jim loved. Amid a little friendly competition, Jim’s family found support in their grief, raised funds for the LifeSource mission, and shared stories of Jim’s life and the ultimately healing impact of organ donation for donor families.
In the words of Jim’s daughter Alison, “It was our privilege to honor our Dad and support LifeSource’s mission through this event. The staff at LifeSource was amazingly respectful, compassionate, and supportive during an extraordinarily difficult time for our family.”
Join us for the next Pull for Papa tournament, scheduled for September 28, 2019.
To honor our three decades of mission-focused work, we’re inviting you to celebrate our history and join us in creating the next generation of donation. Our #TheNext30 initiative showcases innovations in the field of donation and transplantation and the people who are making them possible.
The initiative starts with an interactive timeline of just some of our notable achievements over the past 30 years. It then takes a look at our team’s vision for the next 30 years and what we can achieve by working together so that everyone shares the gift of life. Finally, we’re offering #TheNext30 challenge to everyone: register online to receive a kit and details on the challenge.
Over the past three decades, LifeSource has provided hope and healing for thousands of grieving families in our communities and new life for transplant recipients. We all have a part to play when it comes to achieving our vision that everyone shares the gift of life, and #TheNext30 is one way you can get involved!
On August 17, 2018, the Minnesota Twins took on the Detroit Tigers, and nearly 600 people took up the cause of raising awareness about kidney disease and organ donation at the game. Together, we honored donor families, celebrated recipients, and encouraged everyone to “Check the Box” and register as a donor.
Mark your calendar to join us on August 9, 2019 as the Minnesota Twins take on their rival Cleveland Twins at the next Donate Life Day with the Twins.
The 23rd Annual LifeSource Golf Classic again took place at Majestic Oaks in Ham Lake, Minnesota and was a resounding success thanks to 230 golfers and 50 volunteers. Over $150,000 was raised that will go towards educating and building public support for organ, eye and tissue donation. At the event, Bob Shutes and his wife Shelly shared their personal story of hope and healing as a 20-year heart transplant survivor.
For the third time in LifeSource Golf Classic history, there was a significant accomplishment on the course—a hole-in-one! Golfer Kevin Doyle made the shot and became the proud owner of a 2018 Ford Fusion from Inver Grove Ford.
Mark your calendars and join us in 2019 for the 24th Annual Golf Classic on Monday, September 16, 2019.
All year long, LifeSource team members engage in efforts that give back to the communities in which we work and live. Some of these activities include:
These and other activities get LifeSource out in the communities we serve and love, and are part of what makes LifeSource a wonderful place to work.
Give to the Max Day is an annual opportunity for Minnesota nonprofit organizations to raise funds in support of their missions. In 2018, we set a goal of raising $20,000, and were very grateful to have exceeded our goal by raising $20,264.
Fundraising like this is a reflection of our generous community, and we’re honored to put those funds toward our life-saving mission.