Over 350 transplant and dialysis athletes will descend on Dublin Irish companies have been urged to look at a novel way of supporting this August’s European Transplant & Dialysis Games in Dublin – by letting staff members a ‘volunteer day’ to help out. It is expected that over 350 transplant and dialysis athletes from 24 European countries will converge on Dublin from August 8th-15th for the European Games.
All of the athletes are currently on kidney dialysis or have had a transplant of organs such as heart, kidney, liver, or lung.
“A number of companies have come on board to encourage their staff members to come along and help us for a day, and we are now hoping that some other companies will follow suit,” said Colin White, chairman of the Local Organising Committee.
“Pharmaceutical companies Astellas, Baxter and Shire will all be supplying ten staff members each for a day. They will play an invaluable role in helping us to organise events at the various venues in Dublin.
“We are now looking for more volunteers. If we had 12 companies in total, we could cover all the events for the week of the Games. It is also a way of building staff morale while helping to make these Games a success.”
It is Ireland’s first time to host the Games, and the Games village will be at DCU on Dublin’s northside.
“The key message of the Games is the importance of organ donation. That’s what we constantly promote, and these Games will help to spread that message far and wide,” added Mr White, who can be contacted at the Irish Kidney Association (01 620 5306).
A special website has been built – www.2010newlife.com – where supporters can follow the build-up to the Games. This is also the area would-be athletes should visit to register for the Games.
For an organ donor card, FREETEXT the word ‘DONOR’ to 50050.
