To commemorate National Minority Donor Awareness Week, Aug. 1 – 7, Nevada Donor Network hosted a month-long casino registration challenge with Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus in Downtown Reno. Employees of the three casinos were asked to register as organ, eye and tissue donors on the Nevada Donor Registry.
Throughout the month, Eldorado registered 27 employees, Silver Legacy registered 20 employees, Circus Circus registered 11 employees, and the corporate office of Eldorado Resorts registered 7 for a grand total of 65 registered donors.
People of all ages, races, and ethnicities can save and enhance lives by donating their organs, eyes and tissues. Each “yes” counts as there are currently more than 120,000 patients on the U.S. waiting list in need of an organ transplant. Additionally, more than half of those patients are from multicultural populations.
Hispanics, African Americans and Asians often suffer disproportionately from conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. These conditions can increase the risk of organ failure. Race or ethnicity of a donor can make a difference when matching donated organs or tissues to an individual in need of a transplant. If donor registration among minority groups can be increased, there is potential to increase access to transplantation for those waiting.
For details and to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation, visit www.nvdonor.org.
