We are very excited to offer the tremendous opportunity for you and your organization to
participate in the 11th Annual Donate Life Run/Walk and Family Festival to be held on
Saturday, April 27, 2013 on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. Last year we had over 11,000
participants, 75 exhibitors, over 160 sign dedications in the Circle of Life Garden©, a fantastic
kids fun zone and our inspirational opening ceremony displaying Floragraphs which were
featured on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float.
This year will again include the very successful “Mayor-athon,” which challenges the
Mayors from all over Southern California along with state and federal officials to attend the walk
and show their support for organ and tissue donation. Eighty cities showed there support last
year by proclaiming April as National Donate Life Month and 21 elected offices attended the
event to walk with people affected by organ and tissue donation.
More than 21,000 Californians and over 116,000 Americans (larger than the size of the Rose
Bowl) anxiously await the donation of a life-saving heart, liver, kidney, lung or pancreas.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands more face catastrophic injuries from burns, sports injuries and other
accidents, are desperately in need of donated bone, skin, connective tissue and corneas to regain a
normal lifestyle. All of these individuals can be helped if enough of our fellow Californians choose
to be organ and tissue donors.
We hope you will take advantage and join us in one of the country’s largest events to
promote and honor the heroism of organ and tissue donation. This event provides a great
opportunity for you to be exposed to a very special community and we welcome your support
and attendance. Enclosed, please find our exhibitor packet with registration information and
inspiring stories.
It is through the support of people such as yourself that we can continue to save lives and
families by truly inspiring people to Donate Life. We look forward to hearing from you and
would truly appreciate your presence.
Sincerely,
Founders/Directors, Donate Life Run/Walk & Family Festival
Meet the Event’s Founders/Directors: Craig and Kathleen Hostert
Craig and Kathleen Hostert met as clerks at a local Sav-on where, Kathleen says, “I fell madly in
love with Craig my first day on the job.” Now married with two beautiful children, the Hosterts
are an active couple, going on ski trips, camping trips, running in races and enjoying life together
as a family. You would never guess that Craig used to rely on three-times weekly dialysis
treatments to keep him alive.
In 1986, Craig was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder of the
kidneys. When kidney failure became a real possibility, Craig's three
brothers and sister tested to be kidney donors, but were ruled out.
After 2 ½ years on dialysis for Craig and endless testing, Kathleen
was matched as a donor. On June 25, 1998, the transplant surgery
was completed with successful results. After 14 years the disease
took over the new kidney and Craig was forced to return to dialysis.
Justin Hostert, Craig’s son, who had wanted to save his dad’s life by
giving him a kidney since he was nine years old, was tested and
matched as a donor. After six months on dialysis, Craig received his
second lifesaving gift on December 12, 2012.
“The transplants have changed our lives in ways you can’t even imagine. We have always felt
that this chapter in our lives was meant for some reason. We believe it is our calling to help
othes understand how important, how heroic and honorable it is to dedicate oneself as an organ
donor”, reflect the Hosterts.
Today, more than ever, the Hosterts make it their mission to inspire people about the need for
organ and tissue donation. They urge others to discuss organ donation with family and friends,
and consider becoming an organ donor. To this end, they are committed to ensuring that the
Donate Life Run/Walk and Family Festival remains an inspiring event not to be missed.
The Event’s Beneficiary: OneLegacy Foundation
Honoring. Inspiring. Healing. The OneLegacy Foundation’s mission is to increase the number
of lives saved through organ and tissue donation, honor donors and their families, and inspire our
regional and national communities to donate life as organ and tissue donors.
More families are saying yes to donation than ever before, the number of registered donors
nationwide exceeds 105 million, and transplant recipients are living longer – yet the need for
donated organs has never been greater. The fact is that organ donation is a
rare and precious event, and the process is emotional and complex. Making
the most of every chance to donate life requires sensitivity, skill, science
and a spirit of service.
The OneLegacy Foundation serves our diverse communities by educating
and inspiring healthcare professionals and the public to take action in support of deceased and
living donation. In doing so, we will save and heal lives, comfort the families we serve, and
honor those whose legacies live on.
The Event’s Producer: OneLegacy
OneLegacy is part of a nationwide network of non-profit, organ recovery agencies dedicated to
“bridging lives” through the life-saving and life-enhancing benefits of organ and tissue donation.
Working together with hospitals, transplant centers, healthcare support agencies, and civic and
community organizations, OneLegacy serves a diverse population of over 20 million people in
the seven-county Southern California area.
OneLegacy works with our hospital partners to identify potential donor families. We help these
families, in the face of grief, to understand and consent to life-giving organ and tissue donation,
and lead them sensitively through the donation process. We then work with our transplant center
partners to allocate donated organs to the appropriate recipients per
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policies.
As a public health agency, OneLegacy is committed to educating the
public about the critical need for organ and tissue donation. OneLegacy proudly works with a
network of transplant recipient organizations, blood banks, physicians groups and other
community organizations to achieve these aims.
To learn more about OneLegacy and how you can volunteer for the organization visit
www.OneLegacy.org.