Catskill dealership encourages residents to become organ donors
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CATSKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- On Friday, RC Lacy Ford and Subaru Dealership in Catskill held a Donate Life event to kick off "National Donate Life Month." The event was held to raise awareness about organ donation and to inspire community members to become a donor.
The fundraiser and sign up event was held at the dealership from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and featured the Mac Factor food truck and the Columbia-Greene Humane Society.
According to the dealership, this campaign is one that the dealership participates in yearly and has seen the impact organ donation can have, first hand.
The event honored Avianna Overbaugh, the daughter of a local family, who are both friends and customers of the Lacy's. She received a pediatric heart transplant two years ago.
Although the event was held on Friday, RC Lacy will be enrolling people all month long to become an organ donor if you were unable to attend the event.
There are almost 8,000 New Yorkers currently on the national transplant waiting list, according to the New York State Department of Health. Approximately 160 of them are children.
According to Donate Life, donors give legal consent to the gift of their organs, tissues, and eyes in the event of their death. Anyone can specify which organs and tissues they want to donate, including heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, and intestines, as well as eyes, corneas, skin, bone, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, cartilage, and connective tissues.
The minimum age to be a donor is 16. Just one donor can save the lives of up to eight people, while tissue donors can make a meaningful difference in the lives of up to 75 people, according to the registry.
If you know someone giving back to the community and helping others in need, let us know! Send us a picture on Facebook or email us at news@news10.com with #GivingOn10 and we'll share it on air and online.