The Reno Aces dedicated Friday night's game to organ, eye, and tissue donation in collaboration with Nevada Donor Network to encourage more people to become registered donors.
Together, they honored two families that had members recently become donors.
Officials say events like these serve as a good reminder for people of all the great things that can happen when donating.
Caitlyn Ottomann, who was a part of one of the honored families and is also a Nevada Donor Network volunteer, said, "None of it is actually as scary as the rumors seem, and it is one of the most beautiful things. I am so glad that our family's been able to be held by Donor Network and held by their compassion and outreach, and the community that it builds, and just the process of donation itself is not nearly as scary as everybody wants it to seem."
At The Reno Aces Donate Life Night, attendees told us that being a donor is a simple choice for them.
They say the main reason to be a donor is that your parts won't be of any value to you after passing, but can add more years to another person's life, and to not let misconceptions about donating keep you from saving lives.
Harvey Cole, a registered donor, told us, "My stepdaughter actually passed away, and we donated her organs to the Nevada Donor Network, and they actually contacted us about who her eyes went to, her lungs, and what have you, and it was kind of cool to see that even in her death she was bringing life to others."
Officials told us that researching what donating actually represents and does for people is helpful for anyone on the fence about it.
They say advocating for the cause is an all-year battle, but it's important to have extra help in the month of April.
Brooke Goodnight, a Strategic Partnership and Event Liaison for Nevada Donor Network, said, "It is so important. Every single day, there's somebody waiting for that second chance at life. So even though April is Donate Life Month and it's a huge month for advocacy, we want to bring awareness all year long. And that's why we're so grateful for our community partners like the Reno Aces."
Officials say over 100,000 people are on the donor wait list, and about 700 are Nevadans.
