Donor Network West helped turn the Reno Arch blue and green for the entire month Saturday night.
This is to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation, encourage northern Nevadans to register as organ donors, as well as honor donors and their families that have saved lives by donating.
The City declared April as National Donate Life Month during the lighting.
Among the speakers at the event were local donor family, Mitch and Wendy Hammond. The Hammonds decided to donate their daughter’s organs after she died in 2019 after a tragic accident when a bounce house, with her inside, was blown into electric power lines. Their daughter, Lizzy, saved three lives through organ donation and the Hammonds continue her legacy of giving by serving as advocates for organ donation. Local kidney and pancreas transplant recipient, Tom Graham, will also speak.Â
Ahead of the arch lighting, the Hospital Heroes reception was held at the Whitney Peak Hotel where Donor Network West President and CEO, Janice Whaley, presented Hospital Hero awards to local healthcare providers from Carson Tahoe Health, Northern Nevada Medical Center, Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center and Renown Health.
Donor Network West is the only federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization for northern Nevada and northern California.
To learn more about the organization, you can visit their website donornetworkwest.org.
