Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Donate Life Tennessee celebrate DMV employees for their work saving lives

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has designated October 8-12 as Donate Life Tennessee Department of Motor Vehicles week in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s Driver Services Division, in partnership with Donate Life Tennessee, will hold events across the state to recognize driver services’ employees for the role they play in encouraging organ and tissue donation to save lives. State and local officials will visit the centers, along with Tennessee residents who have been impacted by organ and tissue donation, to present Governor Haslam’s proclamation to the employees.

“I commend our driver services’ employees for their continued efforts of promoting donor registration to our citizens when they are visiting one of our driver services centers,” Commissioner David W. Purkey said. “Becoming an organ and tissue donor gives hope to those who are desperately waiting to receive that call. Sometimes an unfortunate situation provides the fortune of life for another.”

98% of the Tennesseans who have registered as organ and tissue donors have done so when receiving or renewing their driver licenses or state IDs at Driver Services Centers. Currently, over 2.3 million Tennesseans are registered on Donate Life Tennessee, the state’s nonprofit Donate Life Tennessee Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.

Donate Life Tennessee is maintained by the state’s two organ procurement organizations, Tennessee Donor Services and the Mid-South Transplant Foundation. A critical part of their mission is to ensure Tennessee residents understand the importance of organ and tissue donation and register as donors.

In 2017, 1,155 lives were saved through organ transplantation in Tennessee and thousands more received life improving tissue transplants. Presently, over 2,900 Tennesseans are listed on the organ transplant list waiting for a second chance at life.

“We cannot overstate the impact our state’s driver services’ employees have on saving the lives of people in Tennessee and across our nation,” said Jill Grandas, Executive Director of Tennessee Donor Services. “Most people who register as organ and tissue donors in the state of Tennessee do so while receiving or renewing their driver licenses. We are extremely grateful to them, Commissioner David Purkey, Director Michael Hogan, and the entire department.”

Kim Van Frank, Executive Director, Mid-South Transplant Foundation added: “We celebrate

and thank Director Michael Hogan and his staff. Their dedication and hard work by asking the

donation question to their customers every day saves lives, restores sight, heals burns and enhances thousands of Tennesseans.”

Driver Services Centers across the state will be recognized for supporting Donate Life Tennessee and organ and tissue donation. Media are invited to the following presentations:

·         Tuesday, October 9^th at 10:00 AM CST– Summer Avenue Driver Services Center (Shelby County)

·         Tuesday, October 9^th  at 2:00 PM CST– Savannah Driver Services Center ( Hardin County) County)

·         Wednesday, October 10^th at 10:00 AM CST– Columbia Driver Services Center (Maury County)

·         Wednesday, October 10^th at 2:00 PM CST- Lebanon Driver Services Center (Wilson County)

·         Thursday, October 11^th at 10:00 AM EST – Oak Ridge Driver Services Center (Anderson County)

·         Thursday, October 11^th at 2:00 PM EST – Strawberry Plains Driver Services Center (Knox County)

·         Friday, October 12^th at 10:00 AM EST– Blountville Driver Services Center (Sullivan County)

·         Friday, October 12^th at 2:00 PM EST– Morristown Driver Services Center (Hamblen County)

 

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (www.TN.Gov/safety) mission is to serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee.

 

For more information about organ and tissue donation, or to register as a donor, visit www.DonateLifeTN.org

###