MADISON/MILWAUKEE, WI – March 29, 2015 – Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe, dancer Nastassja and four other Bucks employees proudly share their decisions to register as organ, tissue and eye donors in a new statewide public education campaign developed by non-profit healthcare collaborative Donate Life Wisconsin (DLW) and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
The first-of-its-kind multi-cultural campaign -- titled “I Said Yes!” -- is part of a joint effort by DLW, the DMV and the Milwaukee Bucks to foster a culture of donation by honoring the decision Wisconsin residents make every day to “say yes” to organ, tissue and eye donation, and inspire others to do the same.
Most donors register their decision while at the DMV but, unlike many states, the average wait time at Wisconsin DMVs is quite short -- only seven minutes. As such, the campaign is designed to prepare and remind customers at key touch points in the DMV service process to make and share their decisions to register as an organ, tissue and eye donor.
“The mission of the Wisconsin DMV is to save lives. While we usually think about drivers and vehicles as they relate to safety, it’s important to remember that DMV staff also saves lives by promoting organ, tissue and eye donation and getting that orange (donor) dot on driver’s licenses and state IDs,” said Wisconsin DMV Administrator Kristina Boardman.
The campaign will launch initially at 12 DMV service centers in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Kenosha, Racine, Madison, Appleton and Green Bay. DLW selected these centers for their potential to increase the number of registered donors. The non-profit health collaborative has worked closely with the Wisconsin DMV for the past four years studying donation rates and meeting with staff from each of the state’s 92 DMV service centers.
Campaign materials will include a large outdoor banner featuring Monroe that will be installed at the Waukesha DMV facing I-94. DMVs will also be furnished with office posters, window clings, counter mats and other materials that include Monroe, dancer Nastassja, and several other employees from the team’s front office. In addition to the Bucks, the campaign features a diverse group of registered Wisconsin organ, tissue and eye donors who share the reasons behind their decisions to “say yes.”
“The campaign emphasizes that almost anyone can register to be a donor, regardless of health,” explained Joanne Grunau, Donate Life Wisconsin Board president. “When someone reads the question on their form that says ‘Do you wish to register to be an organ, tissue and eye donor?’ we hope the decision to say ‘yes’ becomes as natural as buckling your seat belt.”
To further support and educate DMV staff in the important role they play in registering donors, DLW will develop an Organ Donation Overview computer-based training module and other DMV employee information and promotional resources.
“Every single DMV employee is a valued partner in our mission to save and enhance lives and motivate everyone to become organ, tissue and eye donors,” said Grunau. “We look forward to the positive impact we believe will result from our expanding relationship and educational campaign, and we are so grateful to have the entire Milwaukee Bucks organization join us in these lifesaving efforts.”
Anyone 15 ½ or older can register to be an organ, tissue and eye donor at the Wisconsin DMV or online at DonateLifeWisconsin.org.
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About Donate Life Wisconsin
Donate Life Wisconsin (DLW) is a 501(c)3 statewide collaborative and affiliate of Donate Life America. DLW members include organ, tissue and eye recovery organizations, transplant hospitals, kidney and liver foundations and others who work together to save and enhance lives and motivate everyone to become organ, eye and tissue donors.