The annual DonateLife Walk, organised by Gift of Life, is on again on Wednesday 22 February 2012 and thousands of Canberrans are expected to take part to show their support for organ and tissue donation. The event is sponsored by the Organ and Tissue Authority.

The walk is the main Canberra community event during national DonateLife Week, which runs from 19 to 26 February 2012. During this week, all Australians are encouraged to ask and know their loved ones' wishes about organ and tissue donation. This is because in Australia the family will always be asked to confirm the donation wishes of the deceased before donation for transplantation can proceed.

REGISTER NOW

Recently, awards were presented to those colleges represented by large numbers of senior students at the DonateLife Walk which Gift of Life organised in February 2011.  Over 1800 people took part in the walk and the students made up a significant proportion of the participants.

Gift of Life President David O'Leary, accompanied by Vice President Bill Handke, addressed the senior assemblies of six colleges - 

• St Clare's College
• Canberra Grammar School
• Canberra Girls' Grammar School
• Daramalan College
• Marist College
• Merici College 

with a total of around 6,000 students present.  The Colleges were given framed certificates recognising and expressing appreciation for the strong and enthusiastic involvement of their schools at this year's walk.

David O'Leary (l) and Bill Handke (r) present St Clare's certificate to Ellen Stokes, School Captain.

The Walk promotes the need for increased organ and tissue donation.   It encourages people to learn the facts about organ and tissue donation, to discuss it with their families and to know each other's wishes and, after deciding, to sign on to the Australian organ and tissue donor register which is managed by Medicare.  By increasing consent rates, many more Australians lives can be saved.

We warmly congratulate all six colleges on their well deserved awards !

The Hon. Catherine King, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, recently released a new resource to help Australians overcome barriers to discussing organ and tissue donation.  In launching the resource, Ms King said that it will be a valuable resource.  She noted that it was developed by Gift of Life with a community awareness grant.

Community speakers are urged to undertake volunteer training through DonateLife ACT.  A copy of the resource is available at the DonateLife website. 

The Chief Minister and Patron of Gift of Life, Jon Stanhope, has recognised six Canberrans for their outstanding contribution to organ and tissue donation awareness.  The ceremony, organised by Gift of Life with the support of DonateLife and ACT Health, was the last major activity during DonateLife week.

The recipients are:

• Ms Gai Brodtmann, MP, who received the Annette Taylor Award for Community Service
• Ms Genevieve Jacobs was awarded the Angus Fairbairn-Cody Award for Media Support
• Mr Steve Williams was awarded the Matthew Reynolds Award for Community Service
• Ms Karen Oliver received the Ben Wiseman Award for Health Care
• The Belconnen Chapter of the Canberra Lions Club received the Jenny Deck Award for Community Support
• Ms Anne Cahill Lambert was the recipient of a special award for outstanding contribution.