Littauer’s organ donation efforts recognized in 126th annual Tournament of Roses Parade Posted on January 30, 2015 by Dakota PikeGLOVERSVILLE – Nathan Littauer Hospital will be recognized once again with a rose on the Donate Life Float in the 126th annual Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. Nathan Littauer partners with the Center for Donation & Transplant (CDT) to facilitate life-saving organ and tissue donation. The rose also recognizes Littauer’s support for organ donation through the Donate Life Flag Program. In 2015, a flag will be flown at the hospital following every organ and tissue donation case, which will then be given to the donors’ families in honor of their loved one. This year’s float features “The Never-Ending Story,” a special float developed by the national Donate Life America organization, will appear in the parade to commemorate organ donation. It includes butterflies emerging from storybooks to symbolize the enduring power of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. The float and its honored participants are the centerpiece of a national campaign leading up to the 2015 Rose Parade, whose theme this year is “Inspiring Stories.” “Every donation of organs, eyes and tissue begins an inspiring story that lives on forever,” said Bryan Stewart, chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade Float Committee. “In their passing, deceased donors open up a world of health, sight and mobility to people in need.” Since its debut on New Year’s Day 2004, the Donate Life Rose Parade Float has become the world’s most visible campaign to inspire people to become organ, eye and tissue donors. The campaign began as an idea expressed in a letter by lung recipient Gary Foxen of Orange, Calif., who wanted to show gratitude to donors who make life-saving transplants possible. Now in its 12th year, the float entry is celebrated at hundreds of events nationwide where families put the finishing touches on florograph (a picture of the donor made out of plants/flowers) portraits and donation and transplant professionals present dedicated roses to donor families, living donors and community partners who play a role in making donation possible. The florograph will be on display at the news conference. Donation experts say that one person can save up to eight lives through the donation of vital organs – heart, kidney, liver, lungs, pancreas and small intestine – and help 50 people or more who need corneas to see, skin to heal from burns, and bones and connective tissue for common knee, back and dental surgeries. In addition, approximately 6,000 lives per year are saved by living kidney and liver donors. Anyone can sign up when renewing a driver’s license or state identification, or by visiting www.DonateLifeAmerica.org. The 126th parade will took place on Thursday, Jan. 1, featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands. Following the parade was the 101st Rose Bowl Game. (CBS News website)Organ and tissue recipients and other volunteers began decorating the 12th Donate Life float in Pasadena on New Year’s Day. Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home was represented with the float.
Littauer partners with the Center for Donation & Transplant to honor those who donate Life Posted on January 18, 2010August 16, 2012 by Dakota PikeProgram hopes to increase donations while honoring othersA rose representing Nathan Littauer’s supporting organ donation sat on this floatGloversville, NY… In 2010, Nathan Littauer Hospital is partnering with the Center for Donation & Transplant (CDT) to honor patients and their families that choose to give the gift of life through organ or tissue donation. Nathan Littauer will recognize its organ and tissue donors by flying a Donate Life Flag in their honor each time a donation is facilitated at the hospital in 2010. After the flag has been flown it will be given to the donor’s family in memory of their loved one, as part of an aftercare packet designed to help families cope with their grief. Nathan Littauer will also fly the flag during National Donate Life Month in April to help raise awareness of the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation. “I am thrilled that Nathan Littauer Hospital is recognizing the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation by flying the Donate Life Flag in honor of their donors,” said Jeffrey Orlowski, Chief Executive Officer of CDT. “The flags provide awareness of the importance of donation and also serve as a symbol of respect for those who have given the gift the life. The families of our donors find it very meaningful to receive the flag in recognition of their loved one.” This is the first year Nathan Littauer has participated in the program. “This is such a worthy endeavor” stated Nathan Littauer’s CEO and President Laurence E. Kelly. He added, “I hope our efforts here today spark conversations among families about the importance of organ and tissue donation.”To thank Nathan Littauer Hospital’s for its support of CDT’s mission, CDT has dedicated a rose in honor of Nathan Littauer Hospital’s donors that was placed on the Donate Life Float in the 2010 Rose Parade. 2010 marks the seventh year that the donation and transplant community has participated in the Rose Parade through the Donate Life Float, which is designed to inspire more than 30 million U.S. television viewers to give the gift of life. Nathan Littauer’s dedicated rose joined hundreds of others from across the nation to create a living memorial called the “Family Circle Garden” that was incorporated into the float. For more information about the Donate Life Float, or to read Nathan Littauer’s rose dedication, visit the Donate Life Float website at www.donatelifefloat.org.– XXX –The Center for Donation & Transplant is the federally designated non-profit organization that coordinates the retrieval of donated organs and tissues at 46 hospitals throughout western Vermont and northeastern New York State.Nathan Littauer’s Family of Health Services serves Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties with a 74- bed regional hospital, eight primary care centers and a nursing home. The hospital recently opened a new state-of-the-art Birthing Center. To learn more about Nathan Littauer, please visit www.nlh.org.
