LOOK FOR NC TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT IN THE ROSE PARADE

For the fourth time, North Carolina will be represented on the Donate Life float in the Rose Parade. This year, Kara Thio of Cary, NC, will join 28 float riders from across the country on this year's float, the theme of which is One More Day.

If she looks familiar, it's because she is one three people featured on the rack cards in North Carolina DMV offices. Kara received a liver transplant when she was only eight months old. Today, she is a college student, an advocate for organ and tissue donation and a very grateful young lady. Among those that she thanks for the second chance at life she has been given is, "of course the Samata family who made the decision to share the gift of life of their two-year old son with me. Only because of their love and generosity, I lived."

Kara is the fourth person from North Carolina selected to ride on the Donate Life float. Others include Delores Benton (2009) and two from the Charlotte-area, Derrick Floyd (2005) and Kip Brooks (2010).

LifeShare is proud to be one of the sponsors for this year's float. We made a monetary donation and dedicated a flower in the float's rose garden in honor of all of the eye, organ and tissue donors from our area in 2011. Check your local TV listings for stations that will carry the parade live from Pasadena, CA.

Please note that because New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the parade will be held on Monday, January 2nd!

INCLUDE ORGAN DONATION IN YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

Here's a New Year's resolution you can keep! If you haven't already done so, now is a good time to add organ and tissue donation to your list of New Years resolutions. You can register at your local DMV office when it's time to have your driver's license renewed.

If that's going to be a while, it's easy to sign-up online. Just visit www.donatelifenc.org. Not computer savvy? We can help. Call our office at (704) 512-3303 and we'll put a form in the mail to you. You can lose weight or start exercising later. Sign-up today to give the gift of life!

BE AMONG THE FIRST TO GET A DONATE LIFE LICENSE PLATE!



Each time you drive your car or park in a public space, you can help encourage organ and tissue donation. The Donate Life license plates, however, won't go into production until 300 applications are received.

In addition to the regular license fee, a Donate Life License Plate will require an additional $20. It's also possible to have your Donate Life License Plate personalized with four spaces for an additional $50 per year.

A portion of the fees will be given to Donate Life North Carolina to encourage donor registration and to support families at each of the state's five transplant centers. Click here to complete an application and return it with the required fee to Donate Life North Carolina.

Until the first 300 applications are received and the plate goes into production, application fees will be held in trust by Donate Life North Carolina. For more information, email info@donatelifenc.org.

THE CHRIS HENRY STORY CONTINUES TO INSPIRE!

It's not too late to see the Chris story. If you missed it, the heart-warming story recalls the fatal accident that took the life of NFL wide receiver Chris Henry, his mother's courageous decision to donate his organs, and the "gift of life" that followed for the four people that received his organs.

Produced by CBS Sports, the story first ran on the NFL Today last Thanksgiving Day. To see the full story, click here. If you are inspired by what you see and haven't already signed up to be a donor, please take the time to do so today. You can register at your local DMV or online at donatelifenc.org.