I am seeking your support for DonateLife Week 2016 http://www.donatelife.gov.au/donatelife-week (Sunday 31 July – Sunday 7 August), to help us end the wait for Australians in need of a life-saving transplant.

Only one in three Australian adults are on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR), despite the majority (81%) viewing registration of donation decisions as important.

Registration matters – 91% of families uphold the decision of a loved one if they are a registered donor. This drops to just 52% of families agreeing to donation if the deceased was not a registered donor and had not previously discussed their wishes.

Our message for DonateLife Week this year is simple: What are you waiting for? Join the Australian Organ Donor Register online today – donatelife.gov.au!

One organ and tissue donor can save and transform the lives of 10 or more people. With around 1,500 Australians on transplant waiting lists at any one time, we need to optimise every donation opportunity to save more lives.

You can show support by:

*         Placing our DonateLife Week online banners on your intranets and/or external sites with a direct link to the donatelife.gov.au site, which will include options for online registration.

*         Promoting the importance of AODR registration and links to the DonateLife website in your internal and external newsletters.

*         Posting or reposting DonateLife Week information, with a call to register online, on your social media platforms and promoting the campaign hashtag #endthewait.

*         Encouraging your staff to use the DonateLife Week online resources with family and friends.

*         Organising a morning tea to raise awareness and encourage registration and family discussion of donation decisions.

*         Displaying DonateLife posters and AODR registration forms in your breakout areas or lunch rooms.

*         Encouraging your staff to participate in the national #endthewait campaign during DonateLife Week on their personal social media accounts.

You can get the DonateLife Week Supporter Kit from http://www.donatelife.gov.au/DonateLife-week-2016-resources which includes information on how to get involved in DonateLife Week, including how to get involved in the national  #endthewait campaign.

A range of online banners http://www.donatelife.gov.au/DonateLife-week-2016-resources are also available to download on the donatelife.gov.au website.

If you require assistance for DonateLife Week 2016 or would like us to provide posters or brochures, please contact myself (details below) or the Organ and Tissue Authority in Canberra; Suzi Clark, Director Communications on (02) 6198 9895 or email suzi.clark@donatelife.gov.au