On Jan. 1, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center sponsored a rose on the Donate Life America “Teammates in Life” float in the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade for each organ donor who gave the gift of life at the hospital between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016. At a ceremony this past weekend at the Medical Center, individuals representing those donors received a personalized certificate and a replica of the actual rose and vial placed on the Donate Life America float symbolizing their loved one’s gift.
Dozens of people representing donor families from across central Pennsylvania attended the Organ Donor Remembrance Ceremony on Sunday. The event was coordinated by Medical Center staff and the Gift of Life Donor Program, the organ procurement organization for eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.
Among the speakers at the ceremony was Wes Mallicone, who received a liver transplant nine years ago at Hershey Medical Center. Wes is director of sports medicine at Shippensburg University. Representatives of the Gift of Life Donor Program and the Medical Center also spoke.