INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (MARCH 28, 2018) – Stefan Wilson, driver of the No. 25 #Driven2SaveLives Andretti Autosport Honda Indy car, announced today a partnership with Donor Alliance, the federally designated non-profit that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming. With a mission to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Colorado and Wyoming, Donor Alliance and the state donor registries, Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming, will integrate the 28-year old Verizon IndyCar Series driver within its organization to help drive awareness on how and why to become a donor.
“Organ Donation is something that is very personal to me and my family,” noted Wilson, who moved to Colorado last year. “As most will already know, my older brother Justin was a donor and saved five lives in 2015. Since losing Justin, it’s been really rewarding to work with Indiana Donor Network and meet donor families, recipients and people that are on the National wait list. Partnering with Donor Alliance allows me to continue that work in my new home state of Colorado and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
In 2016, Wilson made his Indianapolis 500 debut with the support of Indiana Donor Network, a partnership which saw the #Driven2SaveLives campaign come together to increase registrations for organ, tissue and eye donors. The partnership continues for 2018, with Wilson yet again piloting the #Driven2SaveLives car, now teamed up with Andretti Autosport, the reigning Indianapolis 500 Champions.
With April being National Donate Life Month, Wilson will be featured in Donate Life Colorado and Wyoming’s #ShowYourHeart campaign to help drive increased awareness and publicity for the cause.
“It is hard to put into words how grateful we are to work with incredible advocates like Stefan Wilson,” said Sue Dunn, chief executive officer of Donor Alliance. “We’re so thankful for the people that are willing to share their stories in order to help us educate the public on the importance of donation and transplantation. We are hopeful that by sharing the powerful impact donation has had on Stefan’s life, Coloradans, Wyomingites and others around the country will be inspired to give the gift of life by registering as an organ, eye and tissue donors.”
Determined to carry on his brother’s legacy, Wilson will work with Donor Alliance in its efforts. People are encouraged to show their support for donation and transplantation by using the hashtag #ShowYourHeart on social media and tagging and challenging friends who haven’t already registered to be donors. You can learn more about the Show Your Heart campaign by going to www.DonorAlliance.org/ShowYOurHeart.
“I’m so proud of what Justin achieved on track, but more importantly, his decision to be a donor,” said Wilson. “I want to carry on his legacy, tell his story, and hopefully encourage more people to make the decision to place a heart on their driver license. I hope my efforts can make a difference in the lives of donor families and those that are waiting.”