Hi Everyone -

We hope your new year is off to a great start! Our foundation is particularly excited for 2013, which marks our 10 year anniversary! Founded in October 2003 by liver transplant recipient and Bronze Medal Snowboarder, Chris Klug, the foundation has grown with remarkable dedication to saving lives by increasing awareness about organ & tissue donation. Remember, if everyone said yes to organ & tissue donation, there would not be a transplant waiting list. CKF is determined to help eliminate that wait with another big year in 2013!

After wrapping up our 7th Annual Aspen Summit for Life in December, we hit the ground running in January ready to expand our outreach. Our first major awareness event of the year was two weeks ago at X Games Aspen where we shared the message of organ & tissue donation with 2,500 people! The rest of this year will include many other exciting donor awareness events and programs. Have a look below to learn more about our upcoming activities and ways you can be involved.

The Chris Klug Foundation/Donor Dudes is dedicated to saving lives by increasing awareness about organ & tissue donation. We are making a difference for the over 117,000 individuals currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Thank you for supporting our efforts. Together, we are making a difference!

The Team at CKF

Stay connected through our social media for all the latest updates and info:

MAKE A GIFT

Donations to the Chris Klug Foundation enable us to continue spreading the message of organ & tissue donation far and wide. Please consider making a tax deductible donation. Every bit helps! Click here to donate

DONOR DUDES SHOUT OUTS

Unfortunately, very sad news came from X Games Aspen this year. Freestyle snowmobile athlete Caleb Moore was in an accident on January 24 that lead to his passing on January 31. We had the pleasure of meeting Caleb last year when he and his brother Colton shot a short piece for our Donor Dudes educational video, Know the Facts, Share your Decision. We remember Caleb being a kind, funny, dedicated athlete with a stand out smile. Caleb and his family made the heroic decision to donate his organs and give the precious gift of life. They are comforted knowing that his legacy will live on! Thank you, Caleb. You will be deeply missed.

RECENT EVENTS

X Games Aspen

X Games Aspen attracted 116,000 action sports fans to Buttermilk Mountain January 24-27. CKF was lucky to be part of the event again where we shared the message of donation with thousands of people in a fun atmosphere! Donor Dudes trivia and other fun games like our new Instagram photo contest with Deep River Snacks, kept the crowds coming to our booth. Not only is X Games one of our largest events in terms of reach, but we also rely on a significant number of volunteers to help us educate the fans about donation. This year 30 volunteers generously supported our cause and helped make a difference for the over 117,000 individuals currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. A special thanks to our valuable Donor Dudes volunteers and Team ESPN. You made it happen!

7th Annual Aspen Summit for Life

Our 7th Annual Aspen Summit for Life December 7-8, 2012 was a wonderful success thanks to everyone involved! The action began on Friday evening with our Wine & Dine for Life event hosted by Pacifica Restaurant and Oyster Bar. Over sixty people gathered for an exquisite meal generously donated by our friends at Pacifica. Following the dinner was Party for Life hosted by 39 Degrees. Party attendees enjoyed a night of great company, popular music and tasty spirits. The energy and excitement for the cause was shared by all that night, the perfect way to kickoff the event. The Summit for Life nighttime hike to the top of Aspen Mountain on December 8 was a snowy, sold out celebration! Here are a few statistics from that day: 477 participants, 1,200 pledge contributors, 12 transplant recipients, 80 volunteers, $120,000 raised by participants! Watch the highlight video by Vital Films and save the date for this year's event December 6-7, 2013! (Pictured here is the Michael Wells Inspirational Award winner, Chris Lechuga. He is a kidney recipient, father and all-around great man from Colorado Springs who participated in the race this year!)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Have a Heart Donor Day

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about celebrating love, it is about celebrating life! We currently have seven high schools that are hosting their own “Have a Heart” Donor Day activities on February 14 to ensure students know the facts about donation and discuss it with their families. We provide each group with the materials necessary to educate their peers about the topic of donation. They are also encouraged to bring their own creative ideas to the table. (One group is baking cookies and cupcakes to hand out!) This is a perfect grassroots Donor Dudes opportunity. Let us know if you are interested in hosting a table at your school. And if you are an Instagram user, you can follow our Donor Dudes Instagram account to see pictures from each school event that day!

Educational Video Outreach

March 7-10 our Donor Dudes video coordinator, Carmen Dowley, will attend the CAPHERD Conference in California which attracts 800 teachers in the health and recreation sectors from Northern California. April 23-27 is another video marketing opportunity in Charlotte, NC, expecting another 5,000 health and recreation professionals. These conferences are a valuable way for us to share our free donor education video with hundreds of teachers who add it to their curriculum. Contact Carmen@chrisklugfoundation.org if you or somebody you know is in the position to share this video with middle school and high school students.

National Donate Life Month

April is National Donate Life Month and a busy time for CKF and others dedicated to increasing awareness about donation. We plan to be part of multiple events and activities in Colorado and beyond. One new event that we are very excited about is a collaboration with Children’s Hospital Colorado and The Liver Foundation called “Riding it out With Liver Disease.” This event is an opportunity for patients, families and community members to gather together for inspiration, connect with others and learn more about life with liver disease. Chris Klug will be the keynote speaker sharing his experience with PSC, his transplant, and living a healthy, active life post-transplant. Learn more and register for this free event here.

Vans Warped Tour

One of our annual donor awareness events is the Vans Warped Tour. Each year we are part of the popular punk rock concerts in Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland and other major cities. These events would not be possible without the help of our amazing Donor Dudes volunteers and our friends at the Organ Procurement Organizations. We’re hoping to be a part of 10 stops on the tour calendar this year! Check out the tour schedule and respond to this email if you are interested in hosting a Donor Dudes booth in your city. It is an awesome way to reach lots of young people with donation facts!

GET INVOLVED AS A DONOR DUDE:

Donor Dudes is our education program targeting teenagers through action sports. To be a "Donor Dude" means sharing the lifesaving message of donation in a fun and creative way. It can be hosting your own donor awareness event at school, in your community or even starting a Donor Dudes club! We'll provide you with the information and materials you need to be successful. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for reading our newsletter. Look for our next update in April.

Jenny Dziura
Executive Director
Chris Klug Foundation
www.chrisklugfoundation.org
info@chrisklug.org
970.216.2511

Fact: One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance more than 100 lives through tissue donation.

Fact: There are currently 117,003 people currently on the national transplant waiting list.

Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ, eye and tissue donation can only be considered after you are deceased

Fact: Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history

Fact: All major religions in the United States support organ, eye and tissue donation and see it as the final act of love and generosity toward others.

These are some pretty eye-opening facts! Here is how you can do your part:

• Educate yourself and your friends on the facts about organ and tissue donation. Work to spread the word in a cool way at your school or in your community.
• Each state is different in terms of how you properly register to be a donor. LOG ON to find out what your state requires, and follow the necessary steps.
• Be sure to share your decision with your family, and encourage your friends to do the same.
• Together we can eliminate the wait!