Annual Gift of Life Campus Challenge aims to sign up new organ donors

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published by the Wayne State University newsroom.

Wayne State is one of a dozen colleges throughout the state vying to save lives as part of the Gift of Life Campus Challenge, one of the most successful organ donation college outreach programs in the nation.

Since 2012, the university has gone undefeated, winning the trophy for adding the most names to the donor registry. Over the years, the WSU community has been inspired by the memory of student Rebecca Joy Butler, daughter of associate business professor Timothy Butler.

Rebecca, 20, was pursuing a marketing degree at Wayne State when she was diagnosed with a rare lung disease. While waiting for a transplant, she learned that 100,000 people were also awaiting organs and made it her mission to start a donor registry at WSU. She died in May 2011, still waiting for a lung.

Since then, her Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority sisters and other student groups have teamed up to spread the word about the need for donors through email messages, social media, public service announcements, posters and at donor registry stations throughout campus.

"Organ donation, to me, is the simplest way to impact an entire community,” said Alyssa Krieger, Alpha Gamma Delta activities coordinator. “After taking 30 seconds to sign up, I have the ability to change the lives of up to 58 people. I am part of something so much bigger than myself."

In 2015, the generosity of Michigan's 285 organ donors resulted in more than 800 life-saving organ transplants. As of Jan. 1, 2016, more than 3,500 Michigan patients are waiting for a transplant.

The Gift of Life Campus Challenge concludes Feb. 24. Register online at giftoflifemichigan.org/go/wayne or in person at a registration event.

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