AUGUST HAS A NEW NAME, IN HONOUR OF
ORGAN DONOR MONTH

The Organ Donor Foundation (ODF) is to rename August Orgust, in honour of Organ Donor Month. Under the theme Save Seven Lives, Orgust will serve to highlight the statistic that one person saves seven lives when they register as an organ donor.

ODF Executive Director, Linda Peel, explains the rationale behind the change: “At any point, any person may find they need an organ transplant. When one person registers, they can potentially save seven lives because of the number of organs that can be transplanted.”

There are over 4 300 people throughout South Africa currently awaiting an organ transplant operation. Many of them are children who are forced to put their childhood interests and dreams on hold, waiting for a suitable donor. Others are adults who could become fully functioning, economically active individuals, transforming their own lives and creating a lasting positive impact on their communities.

Mrs Peel continues: “During Orgust we want every South African to think about and act on becoming an organ donor. It is free to register, but provides rich opportunities to change seven lives immeasurably.”

Orgust will be marked by a series of events and awareness programmes during the month of August.  Remembrance services will be held in Cape Town and Gauteng to pay tribute to organ donors. The Cape Town Organ Donor Tribute Day will be held on Sunday 21 August 2011 at St George’s Cathedral at 3-00 pm; while the Gauteng Tribute Day will be held on Thursday 25 August 2011 at Fourways Memorial Park at 10-30 am.

The Civvies Day campaign, called “Mad Hatters Day”, will be on Friday 26 August 2011. Wear your favourite mad hat to work and get your organ donor sticker for a donation of only R10.00. The best mad hatter office photograph emailed to admin@organdonor.org.za wins an exciting prize.

For more information about the events, or to register as an organ donor, contact the ODF toll free on 0800 22 66 11, or visit www.odf.org.za.