Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber (CSSMCW) President Tom Kurtz joined Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) Professional Services Liaison Angie Hockman, for a rose vial signing ceremony. The rose vial will be placed on the Donate Life Rose Parade® float featured at the 2020 Tournament of Roses® Parade.
Celebrating its 18th year of participating in the parade, the Donate Life Rose Parade float is the centerpiece of a national effort of more than 50 organizations to reach a broad audience with the simple, life-giving message that donation saves and heals lives.
“We are honored to be part of this commemorative event honoring donors who have given the gift of life,” said Kurtz. “And we look forward to sharing the importance of organ, tissue and cornea donation with the millions of people who watch the Rose Parade annually.”
This year’s float entry, Light in the Darkness, reflects the parade’s theme of The Power of Hope, and highlights unity, light and love, as celebrated during Southeast Asia’s Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, a celebration of light shining in the darkness. A single organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and improve the lives of as many as 75 more by donating their corneas and tissue. As the world’s most visible campaign to inspire organ, tissue and cornea donation, the Donate Life Rose Parade float inspires viewers to help the over one million people in need of transplants each year.
“Light in the Darkness is a theme that speaks to the gift of hope that organ, tissue and cornea donation provides to donors, donor families, recipients and those waiting for life-saving transplants,” said Susan Stuart, president and CEO, CORE. “CORE is proud to participate in such a public display of honor for donors and their families who made the decision to give in the midst of loss — to be the spark that lights the darkness and create hope for those waiting is truly remarkable. And we are inspired that Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber has symbolized their commitment to donation by signing a rose vial to adorn this beautiful float.”
Register today to be an organ, tissue and cornea donor at core.org/register.
About Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber
Founded in 1906, Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber (CSSMCW) is an independent, non-profit acute care hospital in northern Somerset County, bordering Cambria County. The 54-bed hospital shares a campus and collaborates with Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber (CSSIMMW), a private, non-profit biomedical research center. With more than 450 employees, CSSMCW is the fourth largest employer in Somerset County. CSSMCW’s mission is to provide excellence in personalized, quality health care services through innovation, research and education in response to community needs. For more information visit www.windbercare.org.
About CORE
The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is one of 58 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States, serving more than five million people in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, NY. CORE coordinates the recovery and matching of organs, tissues and corneas for transplant within our service region and works tirelessly to create a culture of donation within the hospitals and communities we serve. CORE’s mission is to save and heal lives through donation, ultimately ending the deaths of those on the transplant waiting list, while maintaining integrity for the donation process, dignity for the donors, and compassion for their families. For more information, visit www.core.org or call 1-800-DONORS-7.