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Hello Everyone,
It has been a great summer educating people across the nation about the importance of organ and tissue donation. Here are several significant numbers to share with you!
- 84 - The number of new people who signed up as a donor at our Vans Warped Tour booth
- 2,400 - People reached at eight cities of the Vans Warped Tour
- 15 - High school donor drives planned this fall in partnership with Bonfils Blood Center
- 1,720 - Our free donor educational videos, Know the Facts, Share your Decision being used
- 10 - How old the Chris Klug Foundation will be in October!
This picture is from our visit to Roundup River Ranch in Gypsum, Colorado on August 1st. The Roundup River Ranch is a camp where kids with chronic and life-threatening illnesses can truly enjoy the joys of childhood for free – forever. The week of July 29 was for children, ages seven to seventeen, who have been diagnosed with liver disease, gastrointestinal disorders, or those who have received a liver transplant. There were 59 kids there last week. Based on what we saw, every single one was having a blast!
Have you seen our new website? Please take a moment to browse the pages and share with your family and friends. A big thanks to Roaring Media for building the site.
The Chris Klug Foundation is celebrating our ten year anniversary in October and we couldn't have made it this far without you! We appreciate you supporting our work to save lives by increasing awareness about organ and tissue donation. 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 and tissue donation far and wide. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Every bit helps! Support CKF |
| DONOR DUDES SHOUT OUTS |
Donor Dude of the Month – Hannah Townsend was born April 4, 1990. At six weeks old Hannah was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia. She spent the majority of her first two years in and out of the hospital. Hannah lived with the life-threatening condition for 15 years, but she didn’t let it bring her down. She stayed very active with dance and gymnastics in between hospital visits. Hannah was put on the transplant waiting list on her 15th birthday. In January 2006 she received her lifesaving liver transplant. Hannah is 23 now and doing great! She loves being outdoors hiking, snowboarding, swimming and exploring new places. She gives thanks every day for her second chance at life and never forgets to honor the donor family. Chris Klug had the pleasure of meeting Hannah while she was at Children’s Hospital in 2006. Hannah is always eager to help promote organ and tissue donation. I met Hannah and her mother this April at a Donor Dudes event in Denver. It was great to see her thriving with life and love. She is a very happy, recently engaged lady!
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| Liver Life Walk |
A future free of liver disease - that is the goal of the volunteers and staff of the American Liver Foundation. On Sunday, August 4 CKF joined the fight against liver disease at the Liver Life Walk, a 5k run/walk at City Park Pavilion in Denver. It was a beautiful morning where 250 people gathered to raise awareness about the serious need of liver transplants. We met toddlers, kids and adults who have had a liver transplant, are coping with liver disease, or are on the transplant waiting list. The best part was that everyone there had a smile on their face! A big thanks to Joe McCormick for including us in the event. Keep up the great work!
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| Donor Dash |
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The 14th Annual Donor Dash was another incredibly moving event. 4,700 people of all ages participated in the 5k run/walk to honor donors, celebrate second chances and recognize those waiting for a lifesaving transplant. The honorary signs, wall of honor and team shirt dedications were just a few of the powerful reminders of just how special life is. Team Donor Dudes was small but mighty with people from Colorado Springs, Denver, Aspen and Boulder gathered to celebrate the gift of life!
Congratulations on the event, Donor Alliance. Thank you for your work and dedication in making a difference for the over 2,300 people waiting for a second chance in Colorado and Wyoming. We are proud to be part of the mission.
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| Vans Warped Tour |
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This was our biggest year yet for the Vans Warped Tour - eight cities! Our tour kicked off in Seattle followed by Portland, Salt Lake City, Denver, Holmdel, Boston, Camden and Chicago. This would not have been possible without the generous support of the local Organ Procurement Organizations in Oregon, Utah, New Jersey, New England and Illinois. With their teamwork we reached approximately 2,400 young people and registered 84 new donors on site. Many meaningful conversations took place including one boy in Portland who first shared that he did not support organ and tissue donation. After a discussion at our booth about the impact one donor can have on the lives of so many others, he came back later in the day and said he had changed his mind. He registered to be a donor that day. Many people have hesitations, doubts and misconceptions about donation, which is why we are devoted to increasing awareness, providing the facts and encouraging people to discuss the topic with their families.
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| Leadville 100 MTB Team CKF August 10 |
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Our 2013 Leadville 100 Team is ready for race day on August 10! We have 14 team members this year, including thirteen year liver recipient, Chris Klug! The 100 mile mountain bike course climbs over 12,000 vertical feet starting and ending in Leadville, CO at 10,000 ft elevation - quite a feat! In addition to training for the race (an average of 25-30 hours per week), each person is committed to raising awareness about organ and tissue donation while fundraising a minimum of $2,500 for CKF. Funds raised through this event will benefit our programs to save and enhance lives by educating more people about the impact of donation. This race is also another great example that life post transplant can be healthy and active. Chris is hoping to break eight hours this year! Good luck everyone! Be sure to watch our updates on social media.
Our foundation is extremely grateful to each person on the team and those supporting them along the way. Meet the Team! and watch last year's highlight video by Aspen Media Productions.
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| Donor Dudes High School Drives |
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| | We are happy to announce a new partnership with Bonfils Blood Center of Denver.
Donor Dudes will be part of 15 of their donor drives at high schools on the Front Range of Colorado this fall. Bonfils does incredible work reaching thousands of high school and college students with the impact of giving blood. With this partnership, not only will the students be able to donate blood, but there will be information available about organ and tissue donation as well as the option to register as a donor at the same time. As always Donor Dudes will encourage students to discuss the topic of donation and share their decision decision with their guardians. View our school schedule.
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| USA Pro Cycling Challenge |
August 19-25 the world’s top cyclists will race through Colorado in front of one million spectators. You bet we'll be there! After two years of being part of the USA Pro Challenge we have found it to be a worthwhile way to speak to thousands of people about donation. We will hit seven cities in seven days to increase the number of registered organ and tissue donors in Colorado and beyond. Learn more about the race, and feel free to contact us if you are interested in volunteering at our booth located in each finish city.
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| ING New York City Marathon - November 3 |
CKF has a second team of philanthropic athletes who will participate in the 2013 ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3. Jen Hollander of Aspen, Madeline Ragan of San Francisco, Lauren Wright of Sausalito, Ashley Neidringhaus of New York City and kidney recipient Fred Girscht of Salem Ohio are training for a marathon AND increasing awareness about donation through their fundraising efforts. Last year our team of five raised a total of $14,450 to benefit our cause. Since the race was canceled last year, four of the 2012 team members will return to New York this year. The team is excited to run the five boroughs on what’s expected to be the most exciting ING New York City Marathon of all time! It means so much to have these individuals supporting our foundation. We are proud of them for taking on the challenge of running 26.2 miles!
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| 8th Annual Aspen Summit for Life - December 6-7 |
The 8th Annual Aspen Summit for Life is December 6-7! Join us this year for a celebration of life with a fun, challenging and rewarding hike up Aspen Mountain – 3,267 vertical feet over 2,5 miles – at night, on the snow! On Thursday, October, 3 we will host a kickoff party at 39 Degrees in the Sky Hotel to register racers, encourage team participation and recognize our valued sponsors such as Kahtoola and Outdoor Research who are providing each racer with Kahtoola Microspikes and an OR tech, wool blend shirt! Learn more and register!
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| 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. Please contact us anytime to learn more about how to get involved.
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Hope to see you at the races!
Jenny Dziura
Executive Director
Chris Klug Foundation
www.chrisklugfoundation.org
info@chrisklug.org
970.216.2511
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