Donate Life South Carolina 2007 Annual
Meeting & Celebration Luncheon a great success!

On February 24, 2007, Donate Life South Carolina hosted the Annual Meeting & Celebration Luncheon at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, South Carolina.  Donate Life SC would like to thank the over 100 attendees who joined in this celebration luncheon.  Donate Life SC reviewed 2006 and celebrated ten years of promoting organ and tissue donation across our state.  The close of 2006 brought the organization a new name, new logo, new location, new Executive Director, new mission statement, new action initiatives and most notably, nine new staff members! 

Melissa Blevins, Executive Director, Donate Life South Carolina states, “It was an all encompassing successful event and we are thrilled it was so well received.  We were able to recognize and celebrate our long-standing and new partners; long supporting volunteers and new volunteers; our outstanding board, outgoing Board Chair (George Sawyer, Jr.) and new Board Chair (Greg Hart), inspirational donor families, supportive recipients and more at this special event. ” 

The celebration luncheon also held surprises with the unveiling of the new, Donate Life SC license plate by Mr. Ed Billings.  Mr. Billings is a donor father and the impetus behind the development of this new license plate.  Mr. Billings is a dedicated volunteer and supporter of organ donation and the work of Donate Life SC.  The Number 001 license plate was presented to Mrs. Kitty McManus by Melissa Blevins to honor and recognize Mrs. McManus and her late husband, Dr. Lawrence F. McManus, who were the founders of Donate Life SC (originally Gift of Life Trust Fund) officially in 1996. 

The guest speaker was Ms. Karen Kuehmann, a liver recipient and Donate Life SC speaker’s bureau volunteer.  Ms. Kuehmann delivered a powerful message about her personal experience with organ donation as a liver transplant recipient, which she received 18 years ago. Karen’s words were both touching and profound, as well as inspiring to all that attended.   Ms. Brenda Pogue, a donor mother and Donate Life SC volunteer, sang a distinct adaptation of a classic hymn, Amazing Grace, to begin our celebration.  Rounding out the program was a Donate Life SC video review of 2006, which was received with tears and applause.   

Donate Life SC thanks all of you who celebrated and supported us in so many ways over the last year and beyond.  We look forward to continuing our journey with you and look forward to sharing it again next year. 

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