Sunday 8 March 2015

Grapes, Knights to team up on March 12 to promote organ donation

Multi-Organ Transplant Program at London Health Sciences Centre to gain much-needed awareness
Don Cherry to be at OHL game on March 12
By Mark Schadenberg
Grapes will be in attendance on Thursday, March 12 when the London Knights host the Kitchener Rangers at 7 p.m. at Budweiser Gardens.
The Canadian hockey legend – Don Cherry – will join a pre-game ceremony to recognize the evening's causes / charities – both the Kidney Foundation of Canada and London Health Sciences Centre.
The purpose of the Knights participation in this community charitable awareness event is four-fold.
a) March 12 is 'World Kidney Day'
b) There is an expectation to raise money for the multi-organ transplant program in London.
c) Don Cherry will also emphasize the “Play It Forward, Don’t Sit On the Bench & Register To Be An Organ Donor Today.” theme for the night. You can register now at: www.beadonor.ca
d) Gain immense awareness and knowledge to everyone about stats and details pertaining to organ donation.
The press release issued to discuss the event says it quite well:

“The Kidney Foundation of Canada realizes that organ donation is a point of concern in our country. Canada was once a world leader in organ donation, but has recently seen a large decrease, and now ranks 23rd in the world in deceased organ donation rates. Over 4,600 Canadians are waiting for an organ donation - 75% of them are waiting for a kidney. Almost 40% of Canadians waiting for a kidney transplant will never get one, or die waiting.

MY CONNECTION TO THE CAUSE
Sometimes it's great to see how two items can link together quickly. A few nights ago, our Rogers TV London Knights broadcast crew were going through the process of creating the Knights all-time team, which is part of recognizing 50 years of Junior A hockey in London.
I told our group about the wonderful Ryley (pictured) and her heart transplant at only 7 months old, and the fact www.beadonor.ca has requested people submit group pictures of 9 individuals -- as 1 organ donation person can assist 8 others in living, whether it be a heart, kidney, liver, etc.
So, we took the photo posted below at the Rogers studio. BACK (from left) Rogers station manager Bob Smith, hosts of The Wrap Ryan Robinson and Jeremy Parking and Knights broadcast host Mark Schadenberg. FRONT: producer Kris Bergholz, London sports legend Pete James, Knights analyst Rick Doyle, and Knights play-by-play Greg Sloan. Absent from picture: cameraman / photographer Kai Mortensen.



My connection is the importance of promoting registration to: www.beadonor.ca Their website will note: 
“Because the opportunities for organ donation are relatively rare and the impact is life-saving, it's important that Ontarians give serious thought to organ and tissue donation and register their consent to donate. By registering, you are essentially making a decision to help save lives, if you are able, after death through organ and tissue donation. By making this decision, you give hope to patients waiting for a life saving or life enhancing transplant and their families. . .
“Your decision to register is confidential. It can be changed or withdrawn at any time. As part of your donation decision, you can choose to donate organs and tissue for transplantation and/or research, as well as specify organs and/or tissue for donation. Your registration decision is stored in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care database and is only disclosed at end of life to Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ontario’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency, when all life saving efforts have failed, for the purposes of sharing your decision with your family.”

The tie-in now is the above press release info from the London Knights hockey club and their project to promote organ donation at their March 12th home game featuring Don Cherry and the Multi-Organ Transplant Program at the London Health Sciences Centre.

DON CHERRY
It truly is hard to believe Don Cherry is now 81, but if you look back at his remarkable career, you can also see how he has become hockey icon in Canada.
Cherry played just one game in the NHL – a playoff game for the Boston Bruins back in 1954-55. He did have a long playing career in the minors.
By 1971-72 he had changed his focus to coaching. In the AHL he was behind the bench of the Rochester Americans.
Cherry then coached the Boston Bruins for five seasons, 1974-79, losing twice in the Stanley Cup finals. By the 1979-80 year he was coaching the Colorado Rockies.
He joined Hockey Night In Canada on the CBC as an analyst, but soon the 'Coach's Corner' segment was created in 1981, and continues today and more than 25 years with co-host Ron MacLean. His claims-to-fame include his OHL connection as a past part-owner of the Mississauga IceDogs, his dog Blue, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em videos, a too-many-men on the ice penalty versus Montreal in the 1979 playoffs, the nickname Grapes, and his on-going desire to recognize all Canadians in uniform (serving overseas or police officers).

KIDNEY FOUNDATION
About The Kidney Foundation of CanadaThe Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to reducing the burden of kidney disease.   It does so by funding stimulating and innovative research; providing education and support; promoting access to high quality health care; and increasing public awareness and commitment to advancing kidney health and organ donation.

LINKS:
http://www.lhsc.on.ca/About_Us/MOTP/Statistics/index.htm
http://london.ctvnews.ca/brave-london-girl-battling-rare-kidney-disorder-searching-for-possible-donor-1.2269025
http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2014/11/24/ryley-mitchell-receives-award-from-canadian-transplant-association


Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

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