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April Proclaimed Donate Life Month in Greenville County
County Council Signs Proclamation

Greenville, SC, April 3, 2007 –Today, the Greenville County Council proclaimed April as Donate Life Month in Greenville County.   With the designation, council members and the staff of Donate Life South Carolina hope to bring attention to the need for more organ and tissue donors across the state and nationwide.   Currently over 600 South Carolinians are on the waiting list for a life saving organ transplant.   In 2006, over 260 life saving transplants were performed in South Carolina, but 52 people in our state died waiting for a life saving organ.

“On behalf of the nearly 650 South Carolinians waiting for a transplant, we are honored to receive this proclamation and appreciate the county’s commitment to organ and tissue donation,” said Melissa Blevins, Executive Director of Donate Life SC.

On April 2^nd, Donate Life South Carolina, headquartered in Greenville, launched a statewide Donate Life Month awareness campaign.  Throughout the month, Donate Life South Carolina staff and volunteers will be participating in various functions promoting organ and tissue donation.    Later this week, April 12^th through 14^th will be “Donor Designation Weekend” all over SC, offering the public opportunities to learn more about organ and tissue donation, and a chance to sign up to become donors.   In Greenville, the Donor Designation site will be on Thursday, April 12, at the Wall Mart on Wade Hampton Blvd in Taylors.  An informational booth will be set up to help the public understand more about organ and tissue donation.   Donor cards will be available for those who decide to donate life and become an organ and tissue donor.  The Blood Connection also will be on site to allow visitors to donate blood.  For exact locations in other cities across South Carolina visit the Donate Life SC website, www.donatelifesc.org.  

About Donate Life South Carolina

Donate Life SC, formerly Gift of Life Trust Fund, is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1996 to increase the supply of organs and tissues for transplantation and provide patient assistance for South Carolina transplant recipients.