Local Officials Participate in National Donate Life Month Event

April 5, 2019

Local officials took part in a kick-off event Thursday for National Donate Life Month.

The event and month-long celebration are designed to raise awareness of the lifesaving role that residents of Escambia County can play by registering as an organ, tissue and eye donor. During National Donate Life Month, tax collector employees are participating in the annual Donate Life Challenge, a month-long effort among tax collectors and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, to promote awareness of Florida’s organ donor registry.

“We are proud that in 2018 Escambia County remained in the top 10 counties statewide in the donor designation rate and that 58 percent of individuals visiting our office to get their driver license or identification card signed up to donate,” Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford continued. “We hope to increase that percentage this year.”

Tax collector employees help register potential organ donors by asking all driver license customers if they would like to join the registry. Eighty-five percent of Florida’s donor registrations now occur through driver license transactions. Donate Life Florida hit the 10 million donor mark last year and is the nation’s third largest registry. One person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance dozens more through tissue and eye donation.

Pictured: Escambia County Commission Chairman Lumon May, Chief Deputy Chip Simmons and Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson were among those taking part in a National Donate Life Month kick-off event Thursday afternoon. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News