Title
Proclamation designating August 1, 2008 as "Minority Donor Awareness Day" in Allegheny County.
Body
WHEREAS, Allegheny County recognizes on August 1, 2008, the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) will celebrate National Minority Donor Awareness Day in the City of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, because of the statistical relationship that exists between particular minority groups and certain health conditions, approximately 30,000 of the 100,000 individuals currently on the national organ transplant waiting list are African-American; and
WHEREAS, since 1996, National Minority Donor Awareness Day has been celebrated annually across the United States in order to increase registration on the “Donate Life” list of committed organ donors, while additionally seeking to improve public awareness of the need for organ donation across all races and ethnic groups; and
WHEREAS, National Minority Donor Awareness Day organizers recognize the impending public health crisis that will occur without immediate action, as demand for organ transplants continues to increase; and
WHEREAS, CORE promotes organ transplantation through its support of research and education throughout Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, New York; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Allegheny County Council does hereby wish to recognize and commend the efforts of the Center for Organ Recovery and Education for its ongoing efforts to promote organ donation and increase public awareness regarding transplantation within the Western Pennsylvania region. Furthermore, we hereby proclaim August 1, 2008 as “National Minority Donor Awareness Day” in Allegheny County.