LIFESHARE JOINS NATIONAL INITIATIVE TO REGISTER
20 MILLION NEW DONORS IN 2012

Donate Life America (DLA), the national organization promoting organ, eye and tissue donation, has launched a bold new initiative to register 20 million people in 2012 on state donor registries. Donate Life North Carolina and LifeShare have accepted the challenge setting a statewide goal for North Carolina at 200,000 additional donors this year.

Several events will be held throughout the year to bring attention to the initiative. The "20 Million in 2012" was first introduced with the Donate Life float in the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade(R). The campaign will also launch Donate Life America's "I am HOPE" story project, featuring 365 compelling stories of people personally touched by organ, eye and tissue donation. To see the series, "friend" DLA at www.facebook.com/DonateLife.

Each Donate Life State Team will have one week of 2012 to promote stories of hope from their state. North Carolina's is the week of May 27 to June 2, 2012.

Join the "20 Million in 2012" campaign by becoming a Facebook friend of LifeShare Of The Carolinas. Individuals who would like to sign-up as donors, can join the NC organ donor registry by saying "yes" at their local DMV or by visiting www.donatelifenc.org.

UNC CHARLOTTE 49ERS AND LIFESHARE TEAM-UP TO PROMOTE LIFE

This will be the sixth year in a row that we have partnered with the 49ers and the Signature Sports Group to reach college students with positive donation messages. The game against St. Bonaventure is scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2012 in the Halton Arena on the campus.

Interested in attending? The team has offered LifeShare a $10 ticket special, which is in essence a buy one get one free deal in the orange zone.

• Ticket Link: https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/Buy.asp?EventID=73544
• Enter Special Offer Code: LIFESHARE (use all caps)

Volunteers interested in staffing a LifeShare table at the game should e-mail us or give us a call at (704) 512-3303. We'd like to thank the 49ers and B and R Body Shop for their continued support of this project. We hope that you will support them throughout the year.

DMV AMBASSADOR/VOLUNTEER TRAINING SCHEDULED IN MARCH FOR ASHEVILLE AND CHARLOTTE

Donate Life North Carolina has extended an invitation for current DMV Ambassadors to get some refresher training at one of a series of "Relationships are Key" workshops around the state during March. Two of the sessions are scheduled in the LifeShare service area.

On March 17th, the program will be held in Charlotte. On March 31st, it will be repeated in Asheville. To make it convenient for everyone to attend, there will also be sessions in Durham, Greenville, and Winston Salem. For exact locations, look at the upcoming events calendar to the right.

All sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include information on best practices, customer service techniques and collaborations with DMV staff. Tiffany Christensen, a transplant recipient and author, will be the featured speaker on the afternoon's agenda.

Current DMV Ambassadors are encouraged to attend. A limited number of slots are available for those individuals who are interested in becoming an ambassador or learning more about donation and transplantation.

If you would like to attend, contact Katie Paulson with Donate Life North Carolina at (919) 244-5868 or at kpaulson@onatelifenc.org. Please RSVP by Saturday, February 25, 2012.

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.