PennDOT Highlights New Organ Donation Initiative for National Donor Day

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of tomorrow's recognition as National Donor Day, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced a new initiative at several driver's license centers across Pennsylvania educating Pennsylvanians on organ and tissue donation.

Video monitors are installed or being installed at 20 driver's license centers featuring a video with the facts and benefits of organ and tissue donation. The video was produced by Donate Life-Pennsylvania, a partnership of the state's two organ-procurement organizations, the Department of Health and PennDOT, to educate Pennsylvanians about organ and tissue donation.

"More than four million Pennsylvanians are already signed up for organ and tissue donation, but that is only forty-five percent of all driver's license and ID card holders," PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. "If we can increase the number of registered donors, we can increase the odds of someone receiving a life-saving transplant."

The video also addresses common myths and misconceptions about organ and tissue donation that often prevent people from registering as donors.

Pennsylvanians can register to become an organ and tissue donor by saying "yes" when renewing their driver's license or state identification card at any PennDOT driver's license and photo center, or by visiting www.donatelife-pa.org. There is no fee to place the organ donor designation on your driver's license or photo ID.

More than 8,300 of the 116,000 Americans awaiting life-saving organ transplants reside in Pennsylvania. However, the number of donors is not keeping pace with the ever-growing list of people who need organ and tissue transplants.

For more information on organ donation, visit www.donatelife-pa.org.

Media contact: Jan McKnight or Craig Yetter, 717-787-0485

Editor's Note: Following is a by-county list of locations where the educational video can be viewed on a continuous loop:

Allegheny County:

• Bridgeville Center: Chartiers Valley Shopping Center,1025 Washington Pike Rt. 50, Bridgeville, PA 15017
• State Office Pittsburgh (installation under way): 708 Smithfield St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
• Penn Hills: Penn Hills Shopping Center, 11620 Keleket Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235

Beaver County: Beaver Falls Center, 2580 Constitution Blvd., Beaver Falls, PA 15010

Berks County: Reading Center, 500 East Lancaster Ave., Shillington, PA 19607

Blair County: Altoona Center, 1738-A 9th Ave., Altoona, PA 16601

Cambria County: Johnstown Center, 563 Walters Ave., Johnstown, PA 15901

Dauphin County: Riverfront Office Center, 1101 South Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17104

Fayette County: Uniontown Center, North Gallatin Ave., Ext 855 N Gallatin Ave., Uniontown, PA 15401

Lancaster County: Lancaster Center, Regency Square Shopping Center, 131 Rohrerstown Road, Lancaster, PA 17603

Lehigh County: Allentown Center, Lehigh Valley Driving Center, 1710 Hoover Ave., Allentown, PA 18109

Luzerne County: Hazleton Center, 1052 S. Church St., Hazelton, PA 18201

Luzerne County: Wilkes-Barre Center, 1085 Hanover St., Hanover Ind. Estates, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18706

Mercer County: Mercer Center, 519-B Greenville Road, Mercer, PA 16137

Philadelphia County:

• Center City: 801 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
• Columbus Blvd.: 1530 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19147
• Lawndale: Oxford Levick Shopping Center, 919-B Levick Street, Philadelphia, PA 19111
• West Oak Lane: 7121 Ogontz Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19138 (West Oak Lane)

Washington County: Washington Center, Oak Spring Center, 250 Oak Spring Road, Washington, PA 15301

Westmoreland County: Greensburg Center,The Davis Center, 770 East Pittsburgh St., Greensburg, PA 15601

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Transportation