Donate Life Run/Walk & Family Festival

My family and I have been doing this walk for a few years now, since my sister was diagnosed with cirrhosis. It has been the most educational and best thing us as a family could have done. We have met so many wonderful people through this walk that were going through everything just like us. You truly do have an amazing time with live entertainment, booths (with free stuff), food, health education booths, and games for all ages. It’s a wonderful event and charity and everyone can benefit from going! Because of the struggles my sister has gone through and the peace that Donate Life has brought us, we are now Donate Life Ambassadors and proud of it! We even had a hand in doing this years walk and it was incredible! I hope to see you all at other events!

This was my first time doing it.
My friends family asked my wife and I if we would like to join and be a part of their team. TEAM BRIAN!!! Without hesitation we accepted. What a wonderful experience and event. Lot’s of fun things to do with the kids, family and friends. This is something I will be looking forward to doing every year.

*Such* a wonderful event!!! I wish I would have known about this much earlier on…
The hospital I work at has done many of the surgeries that allow the donations to happen. It’s under unfortunate conditions some times that this happens, but wonderful things happen, life changing events happen, life happens again after these surgeries take place.
We actually had two different teams representing my hospital, which was incredibly awesome. The Intensive Care Unit, Operating Room, Post-​Anesthesia Care Unit, and Trauma Service came together to celebrate this wonderful event. Our team captain, fellow Unilocal*er Aimee T., kept us up to date on the event, and fellow Unilocal*er Ivana E., helped to organize our team at work.
Parking was easy and abundant, but we arrived at 0730. Hubby arrived about 2 hours later and he was still able to park in the same parking structure, but just a couple floors up.
I thought everything was planned out nicely… The volunteers were very nice and helpful and they directed me to wherever it was I needed to go without a problem. There were plenty of family activities to go to from 1-​ticket carnival games, to food vendors, and the concert by All 4 One was nice. There were plenty of port-​a-​potties available, but there were long lines just before the 5K run started. There are limited restrooms indoors that can be used, if portable bathrooms aren’t your thing. I was able to register as a bone marrow donor here, and I was excited and very happy to do so.
Water stops are available after each mile marker, and there were plenty of encouraging and cheerful people along the way. I wish I was able to enjoy the sights more, but this was my first 5K run and I was more focused on keeping my pace and finishing the race without flopping more than anything… There are at least 3 points of elevation along the course, the worst of them being right before the finish line.
After the run, there were plenty of bottled waters and Power Bars being passed out, and so many people were there just to say «thank you!»…
Seriously… What a great event… When I was out there running and just seeing everyone’s t-​shirts and reading why they were running or walking… Seeing all of the «In Memory Of… Seeing all of the other hospital teams… Seeing the wide range people there… It’s a beautiful event, really… And all that positive energy around you is such a great motivator to keep going.
We’ve all promised to keep attending this event and we’re all already excited about next year…
It’s an honor to be a part of such a wonderful cause, and I will continue to sing praises about Donate Life, One Legacy, and organ, blood, and tissue donation!!!

Donate Life is an AMAZING organization! Everyone needs to get out there and get the Pink Dot. There is such a small percentage that are even able to donate, so we need everyone onboard. The 5K Run/​Walk is a tribute I do each year to honor my dad’s memory and it brings me to tears each time. Thank you for this wonderful event and others like it!

I can think of no reason (aside from religious) that organ donation should not be considered! So many die needlessly in a time where transplant is such a viable and realistic solution yet denied to many due to shortages.
I am LIVING proof that transplant works and works well in most cases. I received a heart a year and a half ago and now look forward to living to a ripe old age! I was a perfectly healthy individual until contracting a virus that destroyed my heart-​unavoidable and without warning. This event is not only Moving and emotional charged but a Worthy Cause to promote Organ and Tissue donation!

Life is so short. I’ve heard that so many times. I don’t think people come to that realization until something happens to someone very close to them and once the danger subsides, life continues on. If you work in a hospital only then will you be able to experience that type of awakening that makes you realize how short life really is on a constant basis and it does get frustrating to know that something can be done.
I’ve come close to that realization when I almost lost my Dad 5 yrs ago and the dynamics of my family had really changed. I would say that it was the most toughest for my mom. Who is now basically care giving for him ²⁴⁄₇. And of all the days to remember this event, it happened on Memorial Day. My dad is a Navy Vet.
Growing up, I remember how much I wanted to be like my dad when he served our country. But due to many things in life, the direction doesn’t always go in a straight line and it changes a person who looks back and says «Wow, I’m glad that I didn’t go that direction.» Not to say I didn’t want to be in the military, but life was difficult enough just being me.
So instead, I have found different ways to give back through donating my time, money and participating in Run/​Walk events. It’s a very satisfying feeling to be philanthropic even though times are tough right now.
I felt like it was a homecoming for me to be able to do the Donate a Life Run/​Walk at my alma mater. It brought back a sense of accomplishment. There were tons of people and the energy of the place was electric. At times somber and on other times, the feeling of hope is being created as the organization is constantly growing as the Donate a Life Run/​Walk has hit its 8^th year.
Along the path of the 5K, were photos of people who had passed away and have donated their organs for others. At one point, a mother was standing in front of a picture of her son crying as her family members console her. It was a very touching moment. It made me realize that although I am not immediately affected, I am going to do the best I can to spread the word via Unilocal.
Although it’s great to be able to go to cool parties for free and just be on the take when it comes to food/​beverage and schwag, I highly suggest taking an interest in some of the charities that are out there like this one for example. I can actually say that it was a really great way to spend a Saturday morning.
Check out their website to learn more on how you can make a difference on someone’s life:
Thanks Ellen C. for posting the event. It was nice to spend the afternoon with my «white on rice Unilocal crew.»

I have seen many lives die in vain due to the lack of organ donation. I understand religion may be a factor, but a lot has to do with the lack of knowledge and information. To save countless number of lives, organ donation is the answer!
My lack of PR skills became evident when I tried to plan this event. Who cares though, right? I got a team of 6 and we united to celebrate giving the gift of life.
With tearful testimonials of lives taken away, but selflessly saving lives of others, I was choked up myself.
Debbie Y. and Kevin C. as usual, ran the 5K. The rest of us couldn’t decide which route to take…1K? Too short… 5K? The runners would be waiting for us for hours since we were «strolling».
We decided to walk the 5K with some cheating (cutting across to the other path) and also check out the KROQ booth along the way.
It was a beautiful walk through the campus, through the arboretum with poster tributes to organ donators.
The only bad thing was some stupid person ran a wheelchair hard into my heels. I forgave them, but was limping for a while.
Wonderful event… with water, hot dogs, salad, and chips provided afterwards.
Spread the word! Donate a life!!!
A special thanks to my Unilocal team… Travis H., Debbie Y., Kevin C., Andrea V., and Erin V.

Great day in Fullerton for the «very» hard walk we had… never knew they had the gardens there offset from the field.
Thanks to the crew from coming along!

Thank you to Ellen C for posting this event and organizing our little Unilocal team for this run/​walk.
The purpose of this run is «to celebrate giving the gift of life and spread awareness on organ and tissue donation». It can be pretty moving to attend an event such as this. Some people are just there to raise awareness and money, but some are running/​walking in memory of their loved ones. It can be heart wrenching to see the pictures of the departed, hearing the occasional voice crack with emotion or see a mother overcome with grief.
But sadness aside, it’s always great to get out and exercise and this was a nice sunny day to do so. Our Unilocal team of 6 split up into runners and walkers. Since we were not quite as ambitious as Debbie and Kevin who were running, Ellen, Travis, Erin and I walked. We debated between the 5k and the 1k. The 1k was too short, but the 5k was too long since we knew the runners would be done so early. So we kept going after the 1k, past the first mile, then kind of made our own 3k or so!
The route circled around portions of CSUF, through parking lots and even through the Arboretum. I think that was the best part. Although the path was narrow and crowded with people (and perhaps an overly eager wheelchair pusher!!), it was shady and cool, with beautiful trees, plants and other wildlife for us to enjoy. As one child behind us pointed out, we were walking through the forest in the school. :) I was even able to snap a few pictures of a crane. Then I did some running to catch up with the rest of my group. See, I did run after all!
Minus one star for what seems to be some disorganization and/​or poor planning. Parking and traffic were awful, which resulted in starting almost an hour late. I was disappointed by the use of styrofoam cups at some of the water stations (luckily, not all). They also released a large number of balloons to represent the number of organs donated, but I wish they could have done it in a more environmentally friendly manner. (But the blue and green balloons did look pretty neat floating up in the sky.)

On September 24, 2008, I had a heart transplant, even before I left the hospital, I resolved to participate in the 2009 Donate Life Run/​Walk benefiting the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. Without people registering to donate their organs in the case of their untimely passing, I would not be alive — or at the very least, I would still be in the hospital attached to a machine that I could never be separated from. Instead on a sunny Saturday April 25thm I walked to 5k with a few of my closest friend (Including fellow Unilocalers Ericka L. and Corazon R.).
The 5k is a loop that wanders around the CSU-​Fullerton campus, through botanical gardens, and back to area where Donate Life has a festival setup. The festival consists dozens of booth run by different businesses and organizations associated with transplants and organ donation. It included a small food court and after the walk the event had free food including hot dogs, salads and other assorted foods. Entertainment was an array of D-​list celebrities and radio DJs including Chekezie (of American Idol), Al. B. Sure, one of the Kardashians, and DJs from Kiis-​FM (Uggh). Yeah, not something I really cared to stick around for.
Being a organ recipient, I noticed that the event was more geared toward donor families, which is understandable. Still I’d hope to see more recipients out there, seeing only a dozen or so wearing the green recipient beads, out of 5000+ people. It can be hard thing — after receiving an organ, there can be lots of complications — I’ve been very lucky.
In the end, I had a great walk; I was able to finish it without getting too tired, which is an accomplishment after what I’d been through. The weather and company where great, and before hand, I managed to raise $ 2,585 dollars to support organ and tissue donor registry. If you like to register to be an organ donor, please go here: