This August, I’ll be running in the 2024 Leadville Trail 100 Run. Call me crazy...but it’s for a good reason: I’m running on behalf of the Chris Klug Foundation (CKF), a nonprofit that educates on the importance of organ, eye, & tissue donation! Not only will I be running in their honor, but I will also be fundraising for their cause, in support of organ donation.
So, why CKF? As an Emergency Physician, I see organ donation from both sides: the gift of life given by someone after a tragedy and the recipients of those gifts when they need my care. While I am able to take on a daunting task like running the Leadville 100, there are still more than 104,000 people in the U.S. who cannot, because they're awaiting a lifesaving transplant. 17 of these people die each day waiting for their turn, for their transplant. And every 9 minutes, someone new is added to that waitlist. Just one person has the ability to save up to 8 lives as an organ donor and improve up to 75 lives through tissue and eye donation. But here’s a stark reality: although 96% of U.S. adults support the idea of organ donation, only 54% are actually registered as organ donors. That isn’t good enough. I’m running in the hopes of eliminating that wait for transplant. I know that’s a lofty goal, but if my running helps just one person from having to wait, I believe it is worth it.
CKF is making huge strides to educate people—specifically, younger people—with the goal of registering more individuals as organ donors across America in the hopes of one day eliminating the wait for transplant. Please help me raise the very important funds they need to continue their lifesaving mission. The smallest amount helps and 100% of your donation is tax-deductible. Donations can be made via credit card or check.
