KINGSTON, N.Y. — The Ulster County Clerk’s Office and Donate Life New York State will host a “Raise the Flag for Life” ceremony on Friday, April 17, at 10:30 a.m. at the Ulster County Office Building at 244 Fair St.
A Donate Life flag will be raised to encourage enrollment in the New York State Donate Life Registry. Officials said the ceremony and flag highlight the lifesaving impact of organ, eye, and tissue donation.
“Our goal is to have Donate Life flags waving atop all county government buildings throughout our state,” Donate Life New York State Executive Director Aisha Tator said in a press release. “Waving these flags helps create a culture of donation and brings hope to the thousands of New Yorkers awaiting a transplant.”
While 3,200 lifesaving organ transplants were performed statewide last year, 8,000 state residents remain on the national waitlist, and roughly 300 people died statewide while waiting for a transplant, officials noted.
Officials added that an organ donor can save up to eight lives, while tissue and cornea donors can improve more than 75 lives.
Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck encouraged everyone in the community to consider enrolling.
“Organ donation is something that touches so many families, often in moments of both profound loss and incredible hope,” Bruck said in the release. “Many of us know someone who has waited for a transplant or whose life was saved because of one generous decision. Taking a minute to register is a simple act, but it has the power to give someone else more time, more memories, and more life.”
In addition to the flag-raising ceremony, an informational table will be set up in the lobby of the Ulster County Office Building throughout the morning of April 17 with additional educational materials, giveaways, and light refreshments.
Residents age 16 and older can enroll through the state Department of Motor Vehicles, online at donatelifenys.org, when registering to vote, or through other state programs.