www.alabamaorgancenter.org • 1-800-252-3677 Special Edition 2016

a publication of thealabama organ center

The Alabama Organ Center dedicates itself to providing a better quality of life for those people who require organ and tissue transplantation, while respecting those families who share.

Today, there are nearly 35,700 African Americans on the national organ transplant waiting list. Of those, 2,147 are on Alabama’s waiting list. The need is great-but the number of available organs is not nearly enough.

Realizing the tremendous need of so many Alabamians for an organ transplant, the Alabama Organ Center created the African American Task Force (AATF) in June of 2015. Its Mission is to provide education and community outreach specifically in African American communities. The goal is to change the culture and dispel the myths related to organ and tissue donation in an effort to increase the number of registered African American organ donors in the state of Alabama.

The AOC’s AATF is comprised of a group of doctors, community partners, media relations, transplant recipients and AOC staff members. The AATF is designed to create a forum that will

foster ideas and strategies to be implemented in our multicultural communities in an effort to increase the number of minority organ donors, specifically African Americans, in the state of Alabama.

The initial step to expand its community outreach was to host the First Annual Donate Life Gospel Celebration on Saturday, August 13th. Held at the historic Lyric Theater, the Gospel Celebration included several of our talented local gospel choirs with an evening of great spiritual music and communion as we celebrated the life-giving miracle of organ and tissue donation.

It is important that the Alabama Organ Center build partnerships with the faith based communities in a continued effort to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation. The Gospel Celebration was the first, and prayerfully successful, effort to raise awareness of the importance of registering to be an organ and tissue donor and Give the Gift of Life!

The alabama organ cenTer’s gospel

celebraTion aT The lyric

a publication of the alabama organ center

Physical Address:502 20th Street SouthBirmingham, AL 35233

Mailing Address:1720 2nd Ave. S.Birmingham, AL 35294-0500

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Would you like to help organ and tissue donation awareness? Make a donation to the AOC/UAB Education Fund. Mail your tax-deductible donation to the Alabama Organ Center, 502 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233.

is published by the Alabama Organ Center (AOC), the designated organ procurement organization for the state of Alabama. Our purpose is to provide organs and tissue to all persons who are in need of transplantation while respecting those donor families who share. In partnership with state-wide hospitals, AOC serves as the link between those who donate and patients waiting for organ and tissue transplants.

Non-profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 1256Birmingham, AL

Beverly Berry pictured with Performers

of the 6th Avenue Baptist Church Male

Chorus and Brother Jessie Champion

Omega Choral

LaVonda Brannon, Donor mom,Beverly Berry and Marsheae Crum,

AOC Staff Members

Shannis Searcy (center) and family, AOC Gospel Celebration Volunteers

DonaTe life gospel celebraTion choir parTicipanTs

1. New Hope Baptist Church Spirit of Levi Choir2. Brother Jessie Champion Omega Choral3. Marvin Pullom & FWD4. Trinesha & S.O.T.L. (Servant of The Lord)5. Angenetta Smith, Worship Center Christian

Center, Birmingham, Alabama6. Evelyn S. Hardy Men of Distinction Male

Chorus of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church7. Birmingham Chapter Gospel Music Workshop

of America, Inc. ChoirDonaTe life gospel celebraTion

choir guesT speakers

1. Steve and LaVonda Brannon2. Angenetta Smith3. Adin Farley

DonaTe life gospel celebraTion masTers of ceremony

1. Tasha Simone, Hot 107.7 FM2. DJ Big Sweatt, HOT 107.7 FM

Please visit our website www.alabamaorgancenter.org and register to become an organ, eye and tissue donor.

Trinesha Christian and Servants of the Lord

Want to be a volunteer with the aoc, please contactbecky Davis at rebeccadavis@alabamaorgancenter.org

The White Family

Performance by, Birmingham Chapter, Gospel Music

Workshop of America Inc.

Evelyn S. Hardy Men of Distinction Male Chorus ofSixth Avenue Baptist Church

Beverly Berry, Multicultural

Education Coordinator and

Chris Meeks, Executive Director

Annette Pullom (Left), Marvin Pullom II and Delana Pullom

AOC staff members (Left to Right)Jackie Simpson, Travell Christion

and Marsheae Crum

Donate Life Gospel CelebrationVolunteers, Jason and Jan Berry

Gospel Celebration Performer and

AOC Call Center Supervisor,

Angenetta Smith pictured with Her

husband Cornelius Smith

Birmingham Chapter, Gospel MusicWorkshop of America, Inc. members

Reverend James Gibson Jr. and Emmett Turner, AOC African American

Task Force members

Rebecca Davis, Kayla Morris, Chris Meeks andAnnette Pullom, AOC Staff Members andCelebration Committee member

Tracy Hardy, Hot 107.7 FMAccount Executive

Chris Meeks, AOC

Executive Director

DJ Big Sweatt, Donate Life Gospel Celebration MC