Boy Scouts to Distribute Oregon Donor Cards
([Portland], [Or], [02/24/04])— The Boys Scouts of America, Cascade Pacific Council, intends to help distribute Oregon donor cards in local communities and neighborhoods. The Oregon Donor Program is the non-profit in charge of educating residents of Oregon and southwest Washington about the critical need for organ and tissue donors.
According to Warren Becker, Manager of Programs for the Oregon Donor Program, over 83,000 men, women and children in the United States are waiting for an organ transplant. Of those individuals, 1,800 live in the Pacific Northwest. Although unfortunate, statistics reveal 17 people die each day waiting for an organ donation. Provided below is a snapshot (taken directly from the Oregon Donor Program web site www.ordonorprogram.org) of the donor need locally.
In Oregon and Southwest Washington at any one time:
• 120-140 people await a kidney transplant
• 125-140 people await a liver transplant
• 40-50 people await a cornea transplant
• 20-30 people await a heart transplant
• 2-10 people await a pancreas transplant
• 2-5 people await a heart/lung transplant
• 1.7 million Oregonians have a D code for donor on their driver's license.
“This crisis can change if more people complete and carry a donor card and share the decision with family,” says Becker “In fact, every organ and tissue donor can save and enhance the lives of up to 50 people.” If a Scout distributes 25 donor cards he/she can earn a Donor Awareness patch in the process.
Promoting donor awareness not only builds character but can literally saves lives,” says Sherry McVey, Marketing Director for the Boy Scouts of America, Cascade Pacific Council.
Anyone, including Scouts, wishing to assist in this effort should contact the Oregon Donor Program at 503.494.7888 or 800.452.1369 ext. 47888 to request donor cards.
Boy Scouts of America - Connecting youth with communities and families.
About the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America
The Cascade Pacific Council is the twelfth largest council (out of 319) in terms of membership. The Cascade Pacific Council serves more than 47,800 youth in 18 counties in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, and is supported by more than 15,900 adult volunteer mentors.
Local Boy Scouts of America Accomplishments
This last year (2003) Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council reached out to the community and achieved the following outstanding accomplishments:
Goodwill/Good Turn – Scouts collected approximately 340,000 pounds of usable clothing and household goods for Goodwill Industries.
Camping Program – The Cascade Pacific Council has one of the strongest outdoor camping programs in the country, camping 11,000 boys at 9 summer resident camps and 10 day camps last year.
Scouting for Food – Over 11,000 Scouts collected 494,000 pounds of food for local hunger relief agencies through the Scouting for Food drive.
Guy Miller Tree Plant – Over 2,500 youth and family members planted nearly 37,500 tree seedlings in our forests and neighborhoods in support of the Guy Miller Tree Plant program. Since 1977, this program has accounted for the planting of more than 2 million trees.
Community Service – Scouts contributed more than 1.3 million hours of service to local communities last year.
Violence Free Spring Break – In partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, the Police Activities League, Multnomah County, Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations, the Cascade Pacific Council has planned, coordinated and staffed special events like “Violence Free Spring Break.” Over 375 youth were served for this event alone. These events use Scouting facilities and curriculums to deliver positive, values-based programs.
Outreach – Over $29,930 in scholarships was awarded to over 536 youth members for summer camp.
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This page last modified
February 26, 2004
