The Donate Life Illinois Campus Challenge is a cause unlike any other. Held from October 5 through November 13, and in its third year, this statewide donor registration competition is meant to encourage students, faculty, and alumni to enroll as an organ/tissue donor. Students can help save lives while simultaneously raising the sense of school pride.
There are 100,000 people nationwide in current need of lifesaving organ/tissue transplants, 4, 700 of which are from Illinois. With such astounding statistics, many college students believe that there is nothing that they can do to help. After all, the decision of becoming an organ donor can always be made later on in life.
Nick Urig reminds us that, "Although any Illinois resident over the age of 18 may register, the critical importance of registering to be an organ/tissue donor is often overlooked in the college community." \This means that all of us are capable of helping change the statistics one registration at a time. It is important to remember that many people are in these donor lists for years at a time. It is a very long and emotional process for the patients and the simple act of registering can bring many people hope.
The Campus Challenge is a competition among 16 colleges and universities in Illinois including University of Illinois at Chicago, Augustana College, Bradley University, College of DuPage, Columbia College, DePaul University, Eastern Illinois University, Joliet Junior College, Illinois State University, Loyola University of Chicago, MacMurray College, Midwestern University, Northern Illinois University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Western Illinois University.
Once the six-week challenge ends, two winners will be announced as soon as all the registrations have been counted. One of the winners will have the most overall registrations and the other winner will have the largest percentage of the student body registered. As for prizes, the details will be declared in the upcoming weeks.
The Donate Life Illinois Campus Challenge works with the student groups to organize the school's efforts. UIC is more than willing to help. The Campus Challenge is working with Pat Fleming, member of the Phi Delta Chi pharmacy fraternity, and med student Bryan Rea. The student leaders are working to organize registration events.
In order for UIC students to be able to help these efforts, they must make sure that they are registered. Illinois residents can register through www.donatelifeillinois.org and they must type in UIC in the appropriate field in order for our school to get credit. If a student is not an Illinois resident, he or she can visit www.donatelife.net to find out how to register in his or her home state.
Another way for students to get involved is by joining the UIC Challenge Facebook group at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=135131322260. Through this group, interested students can invite others, stay informed of other events, and contact student leaders to see if they can volunteer in these efforts. If students would like more information they can also visit www.donatelifeillinois.org/donatelife/our-campus-campaign.htm.
The Campus Challenge lets students get involved in effecting change in the organ registration system.
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