On Friday night, July 14 please join us for the second annual Living Donor Awareness Night at Jimmy John’s baseball field in Utica, Michigan. At 7:05 p.m. the Utica Unicorns will take on the Westside Woolly Mammoths. Fireworks follow the game.
This event is sponsored by the Living Liver Foundation and Henry Ford Health to honor living donors, educate fans about living organ donation and inspire attendees to explore becoming a living donor. The game will begin with a very special opening pitch. An altruistic living kidney donor and his or her recipient will meet for the very first time on the mound. Behind home plate, over 40 living kidney donors and living liver donors will sit together along with their recipients and guests. During the game, fans will learn about living donor liver transplant and living donor kidney transplant via short videos on the scoreboard. In addition, information tables will be staffed by Henry Ford Health and the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan. Between two innings, the living donors will take the field to be honored as the game’s hometown heroes.
Living organ donation helps increase the number of patients whose lives can be saved via transplant. In 2022, about 6% of liver transplants and 23% of kidney transplants were living donor transplants. With more awareness and education, these percentages can grow to help close the gap that exists between who needs a transplant and who can get one via a living donor or deceased donor.
Tickets are still available and range from $6 to $20. Purchase online or by calling the box office at 248-759-5278. Parking is free. Please join us!