Every year around this time, Donate Life America organizes a huge “push” in favor of organ and tissue donation.  This is a national effort to enlist new organ and tissue donors to save lives.

This year is no different.

Legacy of Life “Hometown” Campaign

And one of the Donate Life America member organizations is especially dedicated in the use of its “hometown” celebrities to educate the public on giving of themselves to help others live.

But the “public push” started long before this time of year.  Way back in November of last year, Legacy of Life had posters of some of its more famous supporters plastered all over the walls of local DMVs, encouraging people to check that box on their licenses to say, ‘yes, I’m an organ donor.’”

A Strong Presence in the World of Organ Donation

Legacy of Life has been going strong since 1987, and Nancy Downes, Marketing Director, tells me it “is the only federally designated organization in Hawai’i authorized to recover tissue and organs for transplant.”

Legacy of Life works closely with medical professionals and local hospitals – as well as the Hawai’i Lions Eye Bank & Makana Foundation (for eye donation).  The organization offers strong community and educational outreach programs to inform the public about organ donation through its website at http://www.legacyoflifehawaii.org.  There are currently around 400 people in Hawai’i alone in need of life-saving transplants.

Supporters from TV and Film

A few of the supporters on Oahu, where this organization is located, are from the world of TV and film.

One of these is KGMB’s Hawaii News Now anchor/reporter Shawn Ching.

Speaking in a recent interview with me, Ching says, “When Legacy of Life Hawai’i asked me to participate in their public service campaign, without hesitation, I said yes.  I was already an organ donor.  I believe in what Legacy of Life Hawai’i stands for and the need for organ donation. Participating in the campaign was a no brainer for me.

“We participated in a photo shoot, which was turned into posters and placed through the Department of Motor Vehicles in various locations all around Oahu.”

Other famous TV island supporters are Ching’s five o’clock news co-anchor Stephanie Lum, KHON2 news anchor Joe Moore, and Hawaii Five-0 frontman Alex O’Loughlin, who is also an Ambassador for the cause.

Ching has worked in television for the past 20 years and recently announced that he will be leaving his news position at the end of this month.

We wish him well and thank him, as well as all organ donors, for continued dedication to the service of helping others through organ donation. 

Cheryl has been a freelance TV/film writer for more than 10 years. Simultaneously, she has worked in PR for Bon Jovi Productions in NYC, PolyGram Records (also in NYC), and Rogers & Cowan Public Relations. Cheryl has published articles at suite101.com, “Sci-Fi Entertainment” magazine, and “Soap Opera Weekly.” She was also a credited researcher for English author Denis Meikle’s JOHNNY DEPP: A KIND OF ILLUSION. Cheryl enjoys writing for the entertainment industry and meeting new people. She is also an animal lover.