United Organ Transplant Association Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

By UOTA Staff Writer

The United Organ Transplant Association (UOTA) will mark their 10th anniversary with a Gala Celebration on Thursday, September 16th at the Riverside Convention Center, with the theme Do You Have the Dot? Entertainment provided by "Hot August Nights, A Tribute to Neil Diamond", performed by Dean Colley.

Special honorees Don Goss, Founder and Chairman of the Board, who founded the organization in 1994 less than a year after receiving his life-saving heart transplant and California State Assemblyman Bob Dutton for supporting organ donation with Assembly Bill AB777.

UOTA is a public benefit, non-profit, charitable organization whose mission is to provide educational, emotional and financial support to people in need of organ transplants and those very blessed individuals that have received "The Gift of Life" through organ transplantation.

An all volunteer staff strives to educate the public about the great need for organ and tissue donation. One organ donor can save up to eight lives and can make many more lives much better with tissue donation. It is so easy to become an organ donor, and so noble an act, when you no longer have need for your organs, to "Make a Miracle", "Give the Gift of Life", "Help another or even several people who are terminally ill, to live on and to enjoy "Renewed Life".

Congratulations to Don Goss, Debbie Morgan, our current President, and all of the UOTA associates that contributed their time, energy, thoughtfulness, caring and financial support to help organ transplant patients and organ donor awareness over the past ten years.

Patricia "Trish" Halterman Memorial Classic Car Cruise

By UOTA Staff Writer

Patricia "Trish" Halterman was honored once again at the fifth annual Classic Car Cruise held on Sunday, August 8, 2004 at the Dairy Queen in Jurupa, California. Patricia was very involved in the Classic Car Club with her fully restored 1938 Chevrolet. The Classic Car buffs came to remember Patricia, her love of classic cars and her passing due to lack of enough donated organs.

Harry Halterman continues his involvement in the organ transplant community by organizing this event and donating the proceeds to the United Organ Transplant Association to support their continued efforts to educate the public about the dire need for donated organs.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to Harry Halterman, the car clubs that participated and Dairy Queen for their continued support of organ donation and transplantation.

Second Annual Classic Car Show

By UOTA Staff Writer

Classic car enthusiasts were treated to a display of vintage cars at United Organ Transplant Association's second annual Classic Car Show on August 22nd at Rancho Jurupa Park in Riverside, California. The event was held to heighten public awareness of the need to donate organs so that people in need of organ transplants can be restored to good health, just as the classic cars have been restored to perfect running condition and their former beauty.

We wish to thank Don Goss, Debbie Morgan, Karen Nobles and UOTA volunteers, along with car show enthusiasts and advisors Floyd Powley, D. J. Gray, Harry Halterman, Gary Martin and everyone who contributed to the success of our classic car show for their help in setting up, organizing, working with the exhibitors, the public and helping to further the message that organ donation is truly a miracle and saves lives.

The following individuals and merchants provided sponsorship or donated raffle prizes, our shining stars:

• Irwindale Speedway
• Moss Brothers Ford
• Meguiar's (car care products) Inc.
• Gormo's for Pinstriping
• Lumber Jack Oak and Pine Furniture
• Six Flags Magic Mountain
• Pharaoh's Lost Kingdom
• Service Master of Victor Valley
• In-N-Out Burger
• Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
• Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall
• Big 5 Sporting Goods
• Norman Nobles
• Linda Gricher
• Debbie Morgan
• Jan Cotham

2004 Transplant Games Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Transplant

National Kidney Foundation

The 2004 transplant games were held in late July in Minneapolis. The games are the largest sports event in the world for people with life-saving organ transplants. An Olympic-style event for transplant recipients, celebrates the second chance at life for thousands of athletes.

This year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first successful organ transplant. In 1954 in Boston, Dr. Joseph Murray performed the first successful kidney transplant. It was a living donor transplant from an identical twin. Dr. Murray was the Honorary Chairman of the 2004 U.S. Transplant Games. Now 84 years of age, he said he was honored to attend this wonderful celebration as he has been a supporter of the Transplant Games for many years.

The National Kidney Foundation organizes the Transplant Games to demonstrate to the public that transplantation works and to illustrate the tremendous need for more organ donors.

The games give those that have received a transplant opportunity to interact with other recipients and showcase the quality of life that can be achieved after transplant. They also have an opportunity to meet some of the donor families. The games also call attention to the dramatic national organ shortage.