MORA to Host Inaugural Spero Awards July 10

FLOWOOD, Miss. (Press Release) — The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) will host the inaugural Spero Awards presented by Donate Life Mississippi at 11:30 a.m. on July 10 at the Old Capitol Inn in downtown Jackson. The awards will recognize hospital partners, medical professionals, corporate partners and donor advocates that work tirelessly and in conjunction with MORA to promote organ, eye and tissue donation to ultimately save and enhance lives.

The word Spero is Latin for “hope”. The title was chosen to reflect the hope that organ and tissue donation brings to those in need of a lifesaving organ or a life enhancing tissue transplants.

“The Spero Awards have been in the planning stages for a long time,” said Kevin Stump, Chief Executive Officer of the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency. “Our staff has worked diligently crafting the awards and the criteria for each category. We are confident these awards will publicly share the many success stories of our donation partners and advocates. They are the ones who make the miracles happen. We look forward to honoring their work and celebrating their spirit while recognizing the lives that have been touched in Mississippi and across the country.”

There will be 14 award categories recognized at the ceremony with seven of those awards subject to public nomination on the MORA website, www.msora.org/awards, now through Tuesday, May 13th.

Currently over 1,300 Mississippians and 121,000+ Americans are in need of a lifesaving transplant. A new patient is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes and an average of 18 people die each day awaiting a lifesaving transplant that never comes. To register as an organ and tissue donor go to www.donatelifems.org.

Organ Donation Facts:

• More than 1,300 Mississippians are part of the 121,000+ Americans in need of a lifesaving organ transplant.
• An average of 18 Americans die each day awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant.
• A new person is added to a national transplant list every 10 minutes.
• One organ donor can save 8 lives.
• One tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 50 people.