The San Francisco Giants And Donor Network West To Celebrate Donate Life Day
(San Francisco, CA) August 6, 2019 – The San Francisco Giants and Donor Network West announced their 22nd annual Donate Life Day, a baseball game highlighting the healing power of organ donation among Giants fans. The game will take place on August 7, when the Giants play the Washington Nationals.
Donor Network West staff and Donate Life Ambassadors at the Donate Life Day game with the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Every summer, Oracle Park in San Francisco displays messages about organ donation on the video board and around the field as part of Donate Life Day. The Giants also welcome Donor Network West staff and Donate Life champions who distribute collectible baseball trading cards promoting donation at the gates. Fans are encouraged to register as organ donors or alternatively show they are already registered donors for a chance to win authentic autographed San Francisco Giants memorabilia. The Giants Community Fund makes the special game possible.
On the special day, stories of community members affected by organ donation and transplantation take center stage. This year, three-year-old Jabari Arafiles of San Jose will open the game by yelling, “play ball!” Jabari received a liver transplant as an infant. Ten-year-old Lorenzo Mata of Fresno, who received a liver transplant, will be the Junior Announcer. Kidney recipient, Dr. Ken Sutha of Menlo Park, and liver recipient, Oscar Vazquez of Hayward, will serve as Balldudes.
“The San Francisco Giants and the Giants Community Fund are great partners who engage their fans to get involved in the local community. In our 22 years of partnership with the Giants, thousands of fans have registered as organ donors. This act of kindness from one donor can leave a life-saving legacy for many others on and off the baseball field,” says Janice F. Whaley, Chief Executive Officer of Donor Network West.
Jabari (right), a liver recipient, is the “play ball kid” at the Giants game.
Donate Life Day attendees can register as organ donors at Donor Network West’s dedicated booth located at the Giant’s Community Club House. Additionally, they can highlight donation by posting their pictures on social media with the hashtag #SFGiantsDonateLife and tagging @mydnwest.
Nearly 10,000 people await a life-saving organ transplant in Northern California and Nevada. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and a tissue donor can heal more than 75 others Anyone can register as a donor at DonorNetworkWest.org or at the DMV.