Donate Life Rose Parade Float

Donate Life Float Makes Rose Parade� History with Salute to Hispanic Community; �Done Vida� Logo and Hispanic Float Riders Touched by Organ Donation to Inspire Hispanic Community

LOS ANGELES, CA, November 16, 2005 � The float entry from Donate Life will make Rose Parade history as it salutes the nation�s Hispanic community in the 2006 Tournament of Roses� Parade. Adding to the tradition of featuring Hispanic float riders touched by organ donation, the logos on each side of the Donate Life float will be presented both in English and in Spanish (�Done Vida�) � a first in the 117-year history of the Tournament of Roses Parade.

�Our nation�s Hispanic community both contributes to and benefits from organ and tissue donation and transplantation,� said Bryan Stewart, chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float organization committee and director of communications for OneLegacy, the non-profit, federally designated transplant donor network serving the greater Los Angeles area. �We hope our �Done Vida� message and Hispanic float riders inspire Hispanics nationwide to save and enhance lives as organ and tissue donors.�

The 2006 Donate Life Rose Parade float, themed Life Transformed, marks the third appearance of organ donors, donor family members and transplant recipients in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. �Done Vida� is the official symbol of the Coalition on Donation's National Hispanic Campaign. The campaign is central to the national effort to educate the country�s growing Hispanic population about the importance of organ and tissue donation. The campaign features personal stories of survival and recovery, statements supporting donation from the Roman Catholic Church, and facts that dispel misconceptions about donation.

�The Hispanic community is one of our largest audiences for the Tournament of Roses, and we are delighted that Donate Life is reaching out to them with this special Spanish-language message,� said Libby Evans Wright, president of the 2006 Tournament of Roses.

On January 2, 2006, a total of 23 riders will be aboard the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. Selected from 13 states and the District of Columbia, they will represent the millions of donor family members, living donors, and organ and tissue transplant recipients whose lives embody the float�s theme, Life Transformed. In keeping with the float participant�s tradition of featuring Hispanic float riders touched by donation and transplantation, the rider contingent includes four Latinas:

Myriam Correa-Sherman, 59, Miami, FL � Her 1991 heart transplant enabled her to meet her three grandchildren who have been born since then.
Edith Gonzalez, 37, Los Angeles, CA � Edith was inspired by a message from Pope John Paul II to donate the organs of her husband Lidio after he died of an aneurysm in 2001. She has since met the family of his lung recipient.was inspired by a message from Pope John Paul II to donate the organs of her husband Lidio after he died of an aneurysm in 2001. She has since met the family of his lung recipient.
America Leyva, 15, Artesia, NM � America suffered renal failure at age ten and endured two years of dialysis before receiving a kidney transplant. Her transplant gave her the confidence to serve as president of her 9th grade class.
Sahra Torres-Rivera, 33, Washington, DC � Sahra donated a kidney to her friend Kiko four years ago and is now training for endurance events to demonstrate that living kidney donors can lead normal, healthy lives.

�I feel extremely humbled to represent my community and appreciate the Tournament�s acknowledgement of Hispanics as a significant part of our diverse communities,� said float rider Edith Gonzalez, who will carry her late husband Lidio�s photo as she makes her journey down historic Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena.

Of the nearly 90,000 individuals currently awaiting organ transplants nationwide, approximately 15% are Hispanic. Each day, 17 people die waiting, due to the shortage of donated organs. In 2004, while Hispanics comprised 13% of the nation�s 7,150 deceased organ donors � including one-third of organ donors in California � 3,254 Hispanics (12% of the total) received life-saving organ transplants.

This year�s riders are supported by more than 50 organizations nationwide that have joined forces to bring awareness of the growing need for organ and tissue donation and the importance of making the commitment to donate life. The partnership includes organ and tissue recovery organizations, transplant centers, transplant recipient groups and other organizations. Joining OneLegacy as top-level benefactors are Astellas Pharma US,Inc. and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

The 117th Rose Parade, themed It�s Magical, will take place on Monday, January 2, 2006 at 8:00am PST featuring spirited marching bands from throughout the nation, majestic floral floats and high-stepping equestrian units.

For information call Rivian Bell, JDI Communications, (213) 612-4927 or Bryan Stewart, (213) 401-1226.