JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tennessee Donor Services (TDS) is gearing up for its annual #BeTheGift campaign, which challenges 100,000 Tennesseans to register and become organ donors in 2022.
According to the release, a Saturday evening basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores will kick off the movement, as fans of each team are encouraged to visit TDS’ website for donor registration throughout the duration of the contest.
Fans are also welcomed to spar in TDS’ fan competition, where supporter votes are tallied post-game in an effort to determine which fanbase accrued the highest number of signups.
The Vanderbilt faithful were victors in last year’s meeting, edging past the Volunteers by just 179 entries.
In 2021, more than 100,000 individuals across the United States, and 3,000 in the state of Tennessee, spent the year waiting for a life-changing transplant — for some, life-saving.
TDS routinely provides coverage for nearly five and a half million of those people, aiding the entirety of Tennessee’s and Virginia’s state population.
In an effort to support TDS’ ambitions, a number of News Channel 11 personalities chose to use their media platform and advance the organization’s vision for Tennessee and Virginia communities.
The ‘Big Red Bows’ are a signature staple of TDS’ campaign — used to spread awareness for the countless number of families who are forced to lean on TDS for assistance after injury, disease or organ failure.
And though the participation of 100,000 individuals will only close the gap for a small percentage, TDS looks to make incremental gains for the future, securing traction and community awareness along the way.
Visit BeTheGiftToday.com to register for donations and vote for Saturday’s rivalry tipoff. Participants may also contact Sophie Kendrick at 843-224-4754 for additional details.
