The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA has joined forces with Donate Life America to increase donations of organs, eyes and life-saving tissue.
The Grand Lodge, Fraternal Committee is asking Elks Lodges nationwide to promote the Organ Donor Program in their Lodge Bulletins and Lodge Web sites to help inspire members and citizens in their communities to make these life-saving donations.
The need is paramount. More than 110,000 patients were waiting for organ transplants as of March 2011, according to the Donate life America Web site, www.donatelife.net. Only 28,663 organ transplants had been performed in 2010, and even fewer - 14,502 - organ donations had been made in that year.
We Elks Members can help close the gap! The effort of Lodges to promote the program through their Bulletins and Web site can gain them five points in their quests to be named an All American Lodge. More incentives will be announced in coming years as the program takes shape throughout Elkdom.
For more information on the importance of donation and how to become a registered donor in your state, click on the Donate Life icon to go to the Donate LifeSM web-site, or by logging onto www.donatelife.net. This is a great way to show that "Elks Give from the Heart."