Released 22/02/2021
Canberrans are being encouraged to step out this week in support of the annual Gift of Life DonateLife walk.
This year's event to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation will be a little different from the traditional 5km walk around Lake Burley Griffin. Participants will instead walk in teams, family groups or as individuals at any time throughout the week and upload their photos to social media to show their support.
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the Gift of Life's DonateLife walk has become a key event in the ACT community, bringing donor families, donor recipients and community members together to promote organ donation.
"Hundreds of lives in Australia are transformed and saved each year through the generosity of organ and tissue donors and their families. In 2020, 13 organ donors gave the ultimate gift of life in the ACT. Typically, each organ donor saves four to five lives."
"We know many people in Canberra support organ donation but have not had the conversation with family and friends about their wishes or officially registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register.
"Only 25 per cent of adults in the ACT are registered, less than the national average of 34 percent.
"It is important to have the conversation about organ donation with family and friends to make your wishes about organ donation known.
"This week is the time to start the conversation with your loved ones. If you want to be a donor, it's important to register and to let your family know your wishes."
For more information on the Gift of Life Inc. and to sign up to the 2021 walk, visit www.giftoflife.asn.au
To learn more about organ and tissue donation and to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.donatelife.gov.au
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Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases