A local non-profit organization’s life-saving mission will take over the Stroh Center Wednesday at 7 p.m.
during the Bowling Green State University’s women’s basketball game.
Life Connection of Ohio, the organ procurement organization in Maumee, will have volunteers and staff on
hand at Wednesday’s game to give people an opportunity to register as organ and tissue donors at their
informational table on the main concourse. Also making an appearance will be the Green Chair, the star
of Life Connection of Ohio’s latest awareness campaign. Every day, 18 chairs go empty because the need
for organs far outweighs the supply. The tagline of the Green Chair Campaign is "Don’t let another
chair go empty" because encouraging more people to register as organ donors means there will be
fewer empty chairs.
Sitting in the Green Chair at center court during halftime will be the Peterson family – Jean, Dave and
Derrik – from Custar. Seventeen-year-old Brook Peterson, Jean and Dave’s daughter and Derrik’s sister,
passed away in 2008 and gave the gift of life through organ donation. Because of Brook’s generous gift,
three lives were saved – and three chairs continue to be filled. Amazingly, two years after Brook’s
death, her grandfather received a life-saving kidney transplant, so the Petersons have experienced both
sides of donation – giving and receiving.
Currently, there are more than 120,000 people on the National Transplant Waiting List, including over
3,500 Ohioans. The organ shortage continues to grow at a staggering rate, as another person is added to
the waiting list every 10 minutes. Sadly, 19 people die each day before they are able to receive their
second chances at life. The good news: One person has the power to save up to eight lives and enhance
the lives of 50 more through donation.
For more information about organ and tissue donation, contact Life Connection of Ohio at 419-893-1618. To
register as a donor, visit www.LifeConnectionOfOhio.org.