News and Updates

Donate Life America Announces Winners of 2022 DLA Awards

Innovative Donate Life Community Programs Help Save Lives

RICHMOND, VA, November 28, 2022 – Each year, Donate Life America (DLA) presents DLA Awards to individual champions for their contributions to the Donate Life cause, and to Donate Life State Teams and their member organizations for innovative and successful programs. Identifying and sharing successful programs and best practices is vital to the work of increasing donor registration and saving more lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

In 2022, four champions received a Donate Life America (DLA) Award for their remarkable contributions to supporting the Donate Life cause:

Ambassador Service Award: Liz Sandeman, nominated by New England Donor Services
Donate Life Community ambassadors work tirelessly to increase organ, eye and tissue donation, and are the backbone of our mission. The annual Ambassador Service Award honors an outstanding Donate Life ambassador/volunteer nominated by a Donate Life Community organization.

Excellence in Youth Education Award: “The Gift” Musical Composition and Band Performance, Midland High School
Schools across the country play a vital role in helping spread the important message of organ, eye and tissue donation. The Excellence in Youth Education Award recognizes a school that has gone above and beyond to creatively educate their students about donation.

Quiet Giant Award: Lauralee Brown, RN, MHSA, CPHQ, MTF Biologics
The Quiet Giant Award is given to an individual(s) who has made a significant contribution to increasing organ, eye and tissue donation in the United States by leading through service and commitment, often behind-the-scenes and without public recognition, to help increase donation and transplantation.

Trey Schwab Coaching Legacy Award: Chrissy Jenkins, Old Dominion Eye Foundation/Donate Life Virginia
The Trey Schwab Award is presented annually to a professional in the field of donation and transplantation who is recognized as a coach and trusted advisor by their colleagues, and who has furthered the collective work of Donate Life America and Donate Life State Teams. The award is named in honor of the late Trey Schwab, a double lung recipient and former Marquette University basketball assistant coach. Trey worked tirelessly for more than a decade to promote donation and was a friend and mentor to his colleagues in the professional Donate Life Community.

 

In 2022, DLA presented Pinnacle Awards to eight category and six “Best of the Best” programs. The “Best of the Best” Pinnacle Awards recognize the best overall program (Platinum), as well as those outstanding in innovation, multicultural community outreach, and remixing or reimagining a standard practice to reach new success.

Ambassador
A Movie Under the Stars Appreciation Event, Lifeline of Ohio

Clinical Partner Outreach & Best Return on Effort (ROE)
Give Birth. Give Hope, Donor Network of Arizona

DMV & Best Remix
Donate Life Champions, Donate Life Mississippi

Donor Family Engagement
Love and Light Care Package, Lifeline of Ohio

Event & Best Multicultural Outreach & Platinum
Movie Night, Donate Life Kentucky

Living Donation
Facts and Myths of Living Donation, University of Michigan Health

Unique Education and Outreach
Cacti Cookie Contest, Donor Network of Arizona

Youth Education & Virtual Outreach & Innovation
Life is Cool, Donate Life Kentucky

Thank you to the 2022 DLA Award winners for leading the Donate Life Community in reaching the public, engaging our partners in education about the cause of donation, and inspiring individuals to register their lifesaving decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

The winning programs were recognized at the October 2022 DLA Annual Conference.
For more information about organ, eye and tissue donation, the DLA Awards, and to learn more about the 2022 DLA Award recipients and their programs, please visit DonateLife.net.

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About Donate Life America
Donate Life America (DLA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization leading its national partners and Donate Life State Teams to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissues available to save and heal lives. DLA owns, manages and promotes Donate Life℠, the national logo and brand for the cause of donation; motivates the public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors; provides education about living donation; manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org; and develops and executes effective multi-media campaigns to promote donation.

Media Contact:
Hilary Kleine
hkleine@donatelife.net
media@donatelife.net