President Nick began the meeting with the club reciting the Rotary Four Way Test. Bob Hoffman gave the invocation reflecting on our speakers subject of organ donation by offering sacrifice for others in by giving them life. The club sang our patriotic song God Bless America. Denise Donahue roamed the room with a huge microphone to allow visiting Rotarians and guests to be introduced. Club announcements included that the district has extended the matching points program until June 15, 2024, any donations should indicate “Annual Fund” to credit properly. Local grants were decided for 2024 and the recipients announced by John Shaski are Allen Neighborhood Center, Junior Achievement of Mid-Michigan, Lansing Area AIDs Network, The Davies Project, Lansing Symphony Association, Child and Family Charities and Mid-Michigan Recovery Services.  Rachel Kuntzsch was brought to the podium to give her new member presentation to earn the coveted blue badge. Rachel began by summarizing her four identities mother, wife, business owner and survivor. Rachel met her husband of 28 years at Sparrow Hospital while attending MSU after being hit by a car (not a recommended way to meet your soul mate but apparently effective in this case.) Rachel has two sons attending college locally. She started a consulting firm in her 20s which merged with Public Sector Consultants, in which she is a current owner. Her survivor indent was on point with today’s program when in 2018 she became a heart transplant recipient after being diagnosed with acute congestive heart failure, which made her being able to give her presentation in front of today’s speaker an honor. President Nick noted that her presentation is a model for future new member presentations, be warned new members the bar has been raised. Chris Swope introduced today’s speaker Patrick Wells-O’Brien the VP of Communications and External Relations with Gift of Life Michigan. Gift of Life Michigan promotes organ donation throughout the state and partners with national organizations in fulfilling its mission of getting citizens registered for organ donation as part of their end of life planning. Patrick commented when he joined the organization he was amazed at the dedication and commitment each of the 400 employees of Gift of Life Michigan to their mission. Patrick noted that they are tasked with approaching and being with families as they deal with a loved one who is dying to ask the difficult question of considering organ donation at a most difficult time. But the mission to save others lives is important and the donors families can save another life with one word “Yes”.  While this can be uncomfortable to do, the end goal of saving another life ultimately can be fulfilling to the families knowing that their tragedy can serve a purpose of sustaining the lives of others when nothing more can be done for their loved one. Currently in Michigan alone there are 2,500 names on the donor list waiting for a life saving organ. These 2,500 individuals in our state are just the surface as those most in need, yet many others are living with conditions that for example require dialysis for kidney failure with less urgency than others on the list. As mentioned having difficult conversations with a family in a dark hour is part of the task, ultimately getting individuals to allow for their organs to be donated long before this life event is the desire. Gift of Life Michigan has influenced initiatives such as organ donation authorization when renewing your driver’s license, but as the state moves to more online renewals versus in person visits to the Secretary of State, this has had an unintended consequence of reducing individuals making this proactive choice. Nonetheless consider making this choice when renewing your license online to help Patrick’s organization further their purpose. A new initiative was launched in Michigan (the first state to do so) to add a donor registry question to the state income tax form, which resulted in over 12,000 income tax filers to join the registry in the first year which was the 2023 tax returns already filed in this year. Michigan is serving as a model for other states that are adding this election to their income tax forms and others that are currently considering adding the registry election in the future. Patrick concluded his presentation noting that we can all help with the donor registration process by doing so yourself, getting the businesses we work at to become a partner organization with a simple annual email to employees to consider organ donation as part of their life planning. After numerous questions and testimonials to how organ donation has affected lives in our own club including our new blue badge holding Rachel Kuntzsch, the meeting was brought to a close by President Nick until next Thursday from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at Lansing Shuffle, which now actually has shuffleboard available as of this week. Email for Tim Adams is: TAdams@manercpa.com |