Hamilton County Clerk Bill Knowles said the Donate Life Flag will fly at his office during the month of April in recognition of National Donate Life Month. The goal is to bring attention to the importance of organ and tissue donation. It is also a time to celebrate the renewed lives of organ recipients and honor all those who have made the decision to donate life, he said.
“We are excited to fly the Donate Life Flag through the month of April,” said Mr. Knowles. “We are grateful that Tennesseans are responding to the need for donors by signing up on the Tennessee Donor Registry."
Donor family members and organ recipients who live in Hamilton County took part in the flag raising ceremony.
“I’m alive today because of an organ donor hero. I appreciate the Hamilton County Clerk’s office for raising awareness so more lives can be saved through organ donation,” said Lisa Phares, double lung recipient.
Mr. Knowles said Tennessee County Clerks "play a key role in promoting the gift of life message by offering residents the opportunity to donate a dollar when they renew their car tags every year. Those dollars are used for the creation and distribution of educational materials for the public and school-based programs."
Mr. Knowles was one of the founders of the successful “Donate A Dollar” program. Over the years Hamilton County consistently ranks in the top three counties of monies raised. “We are pleased to be a part of saving lives through this program. I want to thank the citizens of Hamilton County for their continued generosity and support of organ and tissue donation,” Mr. Knowles said.
National Donate Life Month also focuses attention on the fact that the shortage of organs for transplantation remains a national public health crisis. More than 100,000 men, women and children are currently awaiting transplants. Close to 3,000 of those are Tennesseans.