Upcoming Events

Long Island TRIO will present the 2010 Organ Donation Awareness Day at Citi Field as the Mets welcome the Phillies on August 15, 2010. To purchase tickets, please call Ruth Pohl at 631.884.0482.

Re-dedication ceremony for the Organ Donor Rose Garden, planted and maintained by volunteers at the Long Island chapter of Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO).

Our annual ceremony honors those who have given others new life.

LI TRIO's 2010 Re-dedication ceremony for the Organ Donor Rose Garden will be held on Saturday,September 25, 2010 at 12 noon.

Long Island TRIO Annual Donor Rose Garden Re-dedication Ceremony
For Immediate Release
From Mike Sosna, Long Island TRIO

Re-dedication ceremony for the Organ Donor Rose Garden, planted and maintained by volunteers at the Long Island chapter of Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO).
You're invited to a very special Re-dedication of our Donor Rose Garden on September 25, 2010 at 12 Noon.
Our annual ceremony honoring donors and donor families is one of Long Island TRIO's most cherished events. The ceremony honors those who have given others new life.

Website: www.LITRIO.org

What:

T he Re-dedication of our “Donor Rose Garden” in Eisenhower Park.

When:

Long Island TRIO’s most cherished event will be held on September 25, 2010 12 Noon-2 PM.

Where:

Please join Long Island TRIO and NYODN in honoring and thanking Donors and Donor Families as we re-dedicate our “LI TRIO Donor Rose Garden” to Donors and Donor Families in a ceremony to be held on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 12 Noon. The Donor Rose Garden is located in Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, NY in Nassau County- adjacent to the Women’s Sports Pavilion-Parking Field 6/6A.
Donors and Donor families are indeed our heroes and we thank you for joining us.

Directions to the LI TRIO Donor Rose Garden
Going East, North Shore:
LI Expressway or Northern State Parkway East to The Meadowbrook Pkwy, South to Exit M5, Hempstead Tpke, East Meadow/Farmingdale. Hempstead Tpke towards East Meadow to Entrance of Park. Enter Park and go to Parking Field 6A. The garden is next to the Building where the “Women’s Sports Foundation” is housed. (Old Brick Building)
Going East, South Shore:
Southern State Pkwy East to The Meadowbrook Pkwy, North, to Exit M5, Hempstead Tpke, East Meadow/Farmingdale. Hempstead Tpke towards East Meadow to Entrance of Park. Enter Park and go to Parking Field 6A. The garden is next to the Building where the “Women’s Sports Foundation” is housed. (Old Brick Building)
Going West, North Shore:
Northern State Pkwy West to The Meadowbrook Pkwy, South, to Exit M5, Hempstead Tpke, East Meadow/Farmingdale. Hempstead Tpke towards East Meadow to Entrance of Park. Enter Park and go to Parking Field 6A. The garden is next to the Building where the “Women’s Sports Foundation” is housed. (Old Brick Building)
Going West, South Shore:
Southern State Pkwy West to The Meadowbrook Pkwy, North, to Exit M5, Hempstead Tpke, East Meadow/Farmingdale. Hempstead Tpke towards East Meadow to Entrance of Park. Enter Park and go to Parking Field 6A. The garden is next to the Building where the “Women’s Sports Foundation” is housed. (Old Brick Building).

Very truly yours,

Mike Sosna, President
Transplant Recipients International Organization
Long Island Chapter

Long Island TRIO- Organ Donation Awareness Month Legislative Initiatives and Events:

The Long Island chapter of TRIO is very lucky to have dedicated volunteers making all of the following initiatives possible. We are pleased to team with our coalition partners inclusive of Senators, Members of the Assembly, NYODN, and Transplant Centers as we travel to Albany to help save lives and truly make a difference.

Long Island TRIO commemorated Organ Donation Awareness Month as we participated in over a dozen events during April, 2010. Our festivities and events included a 27 April, 2010 trip to Albany, New York where we scheduled appointments with New York State Senators and Members of the Assembly in their Capitol District offices.

Our chapter obtained New York State official proclamations that proclaimed April 2010 to be forever known as and referred to as "Organ Donation Awareness Month" in New York.

We met with Assemblymen and Senators who are working with Long Island TRIO and our coalition partners in order to improve the New York State Donor Registry Of Consent. We will also ask for support from Senators who have promised to meet with us as we teach them about the important of New York State accepting "Electronic signatures" as legal consent in order to make an anatomical gift. This will help our chapter's volunteers who work throughout the year signing up new donors to the Donate Life Registry. We also have a legislative initiative that will ensure that the "Registry choice" is not skipped and that New York State will require all drivers (when renewing their licenses) to either check the box and register in the NYSDL Registry or check a box saying that they defer this decision to their families or a later date. We are also trying to accomplish another important goal; that is for New York State to eliminate the requirement of each person checking off specific body parts to be donated.

Our TRIO chapter has led the charge into the classrooms in hospitals, courts, universities, high schools and physician's offices and our LI TRIO speakers bureau lef by Jeff Fenn with George T's assistance over the years has directly reached over 18,000 students in person in the classrooms to date. Our chapter is also seeking support for Legislative Bill Number: A. 292 (Magnarelli) and S.4373 (Oppenheimer) that will require health education regarding organ, eye and tissue donation awareness in every high school in New York State while cooperating with TRIO, the Transplant Community in New York State, and OPO's. These bills call for the requirement of thirty minutes of "Donation Education" in 8th or 9th grade school health classes in high schools. As New York State is asking the donation question of every person applying for a license, it stands to reason that NYS would want its populace to be prepared to make an educated decision. The curriculum and all content and materials will be provided at no cost to all New York State high schools.

We are also meeting with Senators to help garner support for legislation that will provide a tax check off box on personal income tax return forms for gifts for the Life Pass It On Trust Fund for gifts of organ and tissue donation outreach and research. Legislative Bill Numbers: A. 6190 (Titus)and S.4319(Adams), and New York State is considering the following incentives as well:

It has been suggested that the registry be expanded to allow altruistic living donors to register and begin the assessment process. A tax credit would be implemented to help offset lost wages for living donors. This would require a change to the tax code. Legislative Bill Number A.214 (Jeffries) provides a leave of absence for employees in private business who are organ or bone marrow donors and insurance reimbursement to employers for wages and salary paid on such leave. Another bill -Legislative Bill Number A. 4265 (Ortiz) allows a person who donates one or more organs to another individual to receive up to $10,000 tax deduction for non-reimbursed expenses. Our state is also considering a bill that would provide a funeral benefit or nominal state tax credit for deceased donor families to defray the time and any burial costs that may have been impacted by donation. As an example, Pennsylvania adopted a $300 funeral credit or offset several years ago, but has never implemented this credit (to date) due to concerns that it may require federal legislation to overcome "National Organ Transplant Act" restrictions.

Our chapter had quite a full schedule of events for "Organ Donation Awareness Month" this pastApril, 2010. We thank all of our volunteers for making April 2010 a very special "Donate Life Month".

Respectfully submitted by

Mike Sosna, President
Transplant Recipients International Organization- Long Island Chapter
Chairman, Public Policy- TRIO International
5440 Little Neck Parkway Suite 4HLittle Neck NY 11362
Tel: 516.902.8111
Email: mike@sosproductions.com
Website: www.LITRIO.org

2009-2010 Past Events:

LI TRIO Annual Holiday Party- Friday evening, December 4, 2009- Fun for all!

Long Island TRIO presents: “Organ Donation Awareness Night” at CitiField. This event was heled on August 19, 2009.

The Long Island TRIO Singers performed the National Anthem at this Atlanta Braves Vs. New York Mets baseball game at CitiField.

Award Ceremony on the field at Citifield as we help publicize the importance of saving lives with organ donation.

TO SEND A DONATION to Long Island TRIO
Please make your check payable to Long Island TRIO and send it to:
Long Island TRIO

Attention Website Donations -PO Box 81 Garden City NY 11530
We are a 503c member driven all volunteer not for profit organization. Your generous contribution is tax deductable to the extent allowed by law and will support the organ donor awareness programs and activitiesyou see on these pages.

February 21, 2008- LI TRIO volunteers also participated in "Get Game Give Life" at Madison Square Garden where St. John's played Marquette on February 21, 2008. We were pleased to help spread the word about the importance of organ donation and the green bracelets were a big hit.

LI TRIO and Senator Hannon Joint Press Conference

LI TRIO volunteers also participated in "Get Game Give Life" at Madison Square Ga

"On the field, representing North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset is Dr. Ernesto Molmenti, vice chairman of Surgery, and director of the hospital’s Transplant Center for the North Shore-LIJ Health System. Joining Dr. Molmenti we have Donna Dalton, Administrative Director and Adina Conn.
Today we are presenting Jerry Sosna with a New York State Medal of Honor. In a special gift of life in 1995, Jerry donated one of his kidneys to his son Mike. Mike Sosna is president of Long Island TRIO, Transplant Recipients International Organization. Here to present Jerry with the New York State Donor Medal of Honor is Assemblyman Jim Conte from Huntington. Assemblyman Conte is a two-time kidney recipient and ardent proponent of organ donation. On the field, we also have Jennifer Hobbs and Charlotte Berlin representing Astellas Pharma US, Incorporated—proud sponsor of Transplant Experience. "

With nearly 100,000 people across the country in need of a life-saving organ transplant, Astellas Pharma US, Inc. and Long Island TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization) are helping take the cause to the field by presenting “Organ Donation Awareness Night at Shea Stadium” during the New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies game on July 22. The event also honored the thousands of donors and donor families across the United States who have already given the gift of life. Story continues below....

rden where St.

For Immediate Release:

Contacts:
Mike Sosna, President
Long Island TRIO
Transplant Recipients International Organization
www.litrio.org
(516) 902-8111

Anne Keshner
On behalf of Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
akeshner@golinharris.com
(708) 790-3135

SHEA STADIUM EVENT DEDICATED TO DEMONSTRATING
THE POWER OF ORGAN DONATION TO SAVE LIVES

Transplant Recipients, Donor Families and Transplant Professionals Take the Field
to Urge Mets and Phillies Fans to Become Champions of Organ Donation

Deerfield, IL, July 22, 2008— With nearly 100,000 people across the country in need of a life-saving organ transplant, Astellas Pharma US, Inc. and Long Island TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization) are helping take the cause to the field by presenting “Organ Donation Awareness Night at Shea Stadium” during the New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies game on July 22. The event will also honor the thousands of donors and donor families across the United States who have already given the gift of life.

“One organ donor can save up to seven lives, while a tissue donor can improve twelve or more lives including actually restoring eyesight for another person,” said Mike Sosna, president of Long Island TRIO - Transplant Recipients International Organization. “Each day, about 77 people nationwide will receive the ‘gift of life,’ an organ transplant, but sadly 18 others will die waiting for a transplant. We hope that this event will encourage people to say yes to organ donation.”

At the game, representatives from Long Island TRIO and Astellas will hand out organ donation information and other materials to fans as they enter the stadium, as well as staff donor sign-up stations on each level of the stadium to provide attendees the opportunity to join the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry at the game.

To join the registry, game attendees will complete and sign a short form that includes basic information (i.e. name, address and birth date) indicating that they would like to be listed in the New
York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry maintained by the State Department of Health.

Information included on the form will also be shared with federally regulated organ procurement organizations and New York State-licensed tissue banks and hospitals.

“I encourage all those that join the registry to share your decision with your family and friends so they are aware of your wish,” said Charlotte Berlin, senior director of immunology at Astellas. “The decision to donate is the decision to give the gift of life.”

The facts* clearly illustrate the urgent need for more organ donors:

• Nearly 100,000 Americans are on the organ transplant waiting list.
• Every 12 minutes, another name is added to the national transplant waiting list.
• Each day, an average of 18 people die because there are not enough organs to save them.
• 90% of Americans say they support donation, but only 30% know the essential steps to become a donor.

About Long Island TRIO

The Long Island chapter of Transplant Recipients International Organization (LI TRIO) is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization committed to improving the quality of lives touched by the miracle of transplantation through support, advocacy, education, and awareness. For more information please visit www.litrio.org.

About Astellas Pharma US, Inc.

Astellas is a recognized leader in transplantation and has been committed to the field of immunology for more than 20 years. Dedicated to supporting the advancement of care for patients, Astellas continues to build upon its legacy and leadership in transplantation by investing in ongoing clinical research and new product development.
Astellas Pharma US, Inc., located in Deerfield, Ill., is a U.S. affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. The organization is committed to becoming a global category leader in focused areas by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities. In the United States, Astellas markets products in the areas of Immunology, Urology, Anti-Infectives, Cardiovascular and Dermatology. For more information about Astellas Pharma US, Inc., please visit our Web site, www.astellas.com/us.
For educational information related to transplantation, visit the multi-award winning site www.TransplantExperience.com.
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John's played Marquette on February 21, 2008. We were pleased to help spread the word about the impo

E-Mail Tree litrio@gmail.com

LI TRIO Webmaster: Mike Sosna email address mike@sosproductions.com

rtance of organ donation and the green bracelets were a big hit. Special thanks to TRIO volunteers, Dr. Teperman, Jack Powers, and NYODN staff members.