By: Erica Lampert ~Staff Writer~

Cincinnati’s LifeCenter recently visited Xavier’s campus to help promote its tissue and organ donor drive to further educate college students about the importance of organ donations.

Currently, there are more than 500 men, women and children in the Greater Cincinnati Area who are waiting for a transplant. As an organ donor, a person can save up to five lives in Cincinnati, and a tissue donor can enhance up to
50 lives.

“Students should consider becoming an organ and tissue donor because it is a decision that can change many lives for the better,” Community Relations & Media Associate Katie Dillon said. LifeCenter is headed to Xavier on Jan. 28 to collect more organ and tissue donors to help change the lives of the people living in Cincinnati. During the months leading up to the Crosstown Shootout, LifeCenter will be on Xavier’s campus to help encourage students to sign up as donors and to learn more about the impact they can make in their community.
“When you register as an organ and tissue donor, you’re making a choice to be someone’s hero. It’s not a choice anyone should take lightly, but it is one that everyone should consider,” Dillon said. To attract as many donors as possible, LifeCenter has decided to make it a competition between the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University as to which school can have the most organ
and tissue donors before the Crosstown Shootout on Feb. 18. “The Crosstown Shootout has been a fun rivalry between XU and UC for many years. Why not
use this as an opportunity to raise awareness and save more lives?” Dillon said.

“Between these two schools, we have thousands of students, faculty, alumni, staff and supporters that can help make a difference in the lives of many people, some in our own community,” Dillon said.

For each student, faculty, alum, staff and supporter who is registered as a donor or who chooses to register as a new donor, the school of his or her choosing will
get a point by voting at http://www.challenge.lifepassiton.org.

The school with the most points by halftime of the game will be declared its Donate Life Champion. Those who register to be a donor, or are already a donor, will also receive t-shirts and other giveaways to help promote the
campaign.

Anyone who wants to further help with the drive can contact Jeannie Kuhn at jkuhn@lifepassiton. org to volunteer at the tables to encourage students to
apply as organ and tissue donors. LifeCenter will be on campus on Jan. 28, Feb. 3 and Feb. 16. It will also have tables set up during the basketball games on Jan. 24 and Feb. 4.

“We hope to inspire many people to make the decision to choose to be an organ and tissue donor. It costs nothing to register as a donor, but to someone else, it could mean everything,” Dillon said.