Show Your Heart Project: Celebrating National Donate Life Month And Inspiring Organ, Eye And Tissue Donation Through Hidden Hearts

Colorado and Wyoming residents invited to join the project by searching for and sharing inspirational hearts hidden in communities across each state

News provided by

Donor Alliance

Mar 28, 2018, 10:38 ET

DENVER, March 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This April, in celebration of National Donate Life Month, Donor Alliance, the federally designated nonprofit that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, invites residents to take part in the Show Your Heart Project with activities throughout the month. The Show Your Heart Project spotlights the altruism of organ, eye and tissue donation in communities across both Colorado and Wyoming. Participants will hide (in plain sight) hearts bearing personalized messages of inspiration to show appreciation for those who have signed up to become organ, eye and tissue donors and inspire others to consider such an act of generosity.

"The local support for the Show Your Heart Project in communities across both Colorado and Wyoming demonstrates the far-reaching impact donation and transplantation has," said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. "Still, nearly 2,500 people in our community are waiting on a lifesaving transplant. We encourage residents to join us in raising awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation by taking part in their local National Donate Life Month activities and consider giving the gift of life by signing up to become a donor."

The hearts have instructions on how finders can join the project by sharing pictures on social media using the hashtag #ShowYourHeart, sharing their own stories or even trading the hearts for freebies like popcorn or admission tickets at participating movie theatres. Residents can also join the grassroots distribution by participating in any of the four kick-off events happening throughout Colorado and Wyoming:

Aurora, CO: Heart recipient, Juniper Gelrod and her Grandpa, Randy Schrantz, will lead participants in decorating and hiding hearts around MLK Library from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.
Colorado Springs, CO: Dana Rojas and her father, Al Lucero, who is currently waiting for a kidney, will lead participants in decorating and hiding hearts throughout Hilltop Community Center from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.
Pueblo, CO: Dana Rojas will also lead participants in decorating hearts in Pueblo to continue to help raise awareness for her father. Participants will be decorating and hiding hearts throughout Mineral Palace Park from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Friday, March 30.
Casper, WY: Jillian Gava, whose mother was a donor, will lead participants in decorating and hiding hearts at Natrona County Public Library from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.

For more information on the events and overall initiative, including a map showing where the hearts are hidden, and a list of participating establishments throughout Colorado and Wyoming, visit: https://www.donoralliance.org/national-donate-life-month-show-heart-project/

In addition to the Show Your Heart Project, National Donate Life Month will be celebrated at various events across both states throughout the month. Activities will include a meet-and-greet with professional race car driver Stefan Wilson, whose brother was an organ donor, at the Denver Auto Show April 4 and 5 from 5-8 p.m.; a celebration at the Mexican Consulate in Denver at 12 p.m. on April 12 and various celebratory events across the two-state area. A full list of events is available at DonorAlliance.org/events.

On National Blue and Green Day on April 13, Colorado and Wyoming residents are encouraged to wear blue and green in an effort to promote the success of organ, eye and tissue transplantation and the need for registered donors. Businesses are also invited to take part in supporting the cause by displaying educational materials like fliers, posters, PSAs and more. Interested organizations can access a toolkit of ready-to-produce materials at http://www.donoralliance.org/NDLM/.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit DonorAlliance.org. To sign up to become an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

About Donor Alliance
Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ and tissue procurement agency for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals.

Donor Alliance adheres to the highest medical, regulatory and ethical standards, and meets every performance standard. By respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state's donor registry, Donor Alliance is able to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Colorado and Wyoming boast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved and healed through organ and tissue transplantation. Donor Alliance is one of 58 federally designated organizations of its kind in the United States. For more information visit DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.