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CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings Boost Transplant Fore Life Event

May 31, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


MEMPHIS - Every day individuals and their families wait for the phone call. The phone call from their doctor that means an organ is ready for them, that it is their turn to receive another chance at life through an organ transplant procedure.

Locally, Methodist University Hospital's Transplant Institute, in partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has been a part of bringing this joy and hope to area patients and families for more than 30 years.

On May 9 the Transplant Institute hosted its 7th Annual "Transplant Fore Life Golf Classic," at Irene Golf and Country Club in Memphis. The proceeds benefited the Transplant Resource Center (TRC), the fund raising arm of Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute.

A final fund raising total has not been released, but Karen Hamburger, Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute outreach coordinator said they anticipate that this year's tournament raised over $25,000.

"Previous tournaments have raised between $15,000 and $20,000," said Hamburger. "Each year gets better and better!"

Rick Hanlon, head athletic trainer for the Mississippi RiverKings, who participated in the tournament, said it was one of the best tournaments he's attended.

Hanlon definitely wanted to make sure the RiverKings took part in the event because of the team's connection to Amanda Dean, a transplant surgery nurse practitioner there.

"Amanda was one of our team clinicians throughout the season, so we wanted to support her in what she does in her every day job," Hanlon said. "A lot of people are really dependent on those transplants, so the work that they do is really important."

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, almost 111,000 Americans are currently waiting for an organ transplant, and amazingly one organ donor has the potential to save eight lives.

On the national stage, Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute is one of the ten largest liver transplant programs in the Country, and is also known for its kidney, pancreas and simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant successes.

"I have had the opportunity to work with transplant candidates, recipients and living organ donors for the last eight years and have seen the gift of life given through transplantation," Hamburger said.

An organ transplant has saved or enhanced the life of almost 300,000 people in the United States; and living donations, transplanting all or part of an organ from a living person, have risen dramatically over the last few years.

However, Hamburger has also seen the negative effects of the process."Patients can struggle with the financial, physical and emotional aspects of transplantation," she said.

That's why it is so important for TRC to continue striving to give the gift of life through execution of its four goals: providing an open forum of communication for patients involved with the process; promoting organ donation and transplant awareness in the community; providing limited financial resources to patients and families in need; and creating and maintaining a supportive environment for everyone involved in the transplant process.

"The Transplant Resource Center has been able to provide support to patients and families in all these areas through our grant funding, our social support group and social/fun activities," Hamburger said.

One such event is Methodist Transplant Institute's annual Fall Festival. "It's a relaxing event for transplant staff and families where they can get together to celebrate life," said Hamburger.

Every day the Methodist Transplant Institute and TRC work to celebrate life in fulfilling their mission statement, supporting "the educational, emotional, spiritual, and financial needs of transplant recipients and organ donors, as well as their family members, in an effort to promote and enhance a better quality of life."

For more information on the Methodist Transplant Institute or the Transplant Resource Center, please visit www.methodisthealth.org, or call 1.866.805.7710.

Maddox Hockey, Inc. is a for-profit entity created by the Maddox Foundation as a program-related investment to further the Foundation's charitable work and promote tourism and economic development in the region, including the viability of the Desoto Civic Center. The RiverKings are supported by the team's fans, season ticket holders, corporate partners and program-related investments of the Foundation. To find out more about the RiverKings, call 662.342.1755 or visit www.riverkings.com.



Central Hockey League Stories from May 31, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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