Prairie Post (West Edition)

Transplant Trot important to those in southwest Alberta

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The Transplant Trot is coming to its final weeks. What is a “Transplant Trot”?

It is the awareness event and fundraiser for the Canadian Transplant Associatio­n, which had to be a virtual event this year due to the pandemic. Across Canada, teams were formed in each province and kilometers are being logged for both activity and dollars donated, with each province attempting to log 14,000 km (Coast to Coast and Back Again!) Currently New Brunswick is WAY AHEAD with over 24,000 km, while second place is a neck and neck battle between the Awesome Albertans and the BC West Coast Trotters, with over 16,000 kilometers.

The Transplant Trot has been an opportunit­y to challenge us physically while we raise awareness for organ and tissue donation. The event began April 25th, and concludes June 13.

To commemorat­e the end of this incredible undertakin­g, The Lethbridge City Hall will be lit in GREEN on June 13, and the Calgary Tower will be lit GREEN on June 12. Green is the color that signifies new life, and through organ/tissue donation recipients gratefully accept that gift of more days, more years, and more memories with loved ones.

Supporters can donate or register here: https://move2.help/ ctatrot and all donations over $10 are eligible for a tax receipt.

Several local participan­ts are contributi­ng their bike rides, walks and hikes to the Transplant Trot. From Lethbridge, and a teacher at Taber’s Dr. Hamman School, is Shauna Marty. She donated one of her kidneys to her daughter, Aidan in 2013. Aiden is a vivacious teenager now, thankful for the Gift of Life from her Mom eight years ago.

Also participat­ing are the Clemis family- Blair, from Calgary, who donated his kidney to his Mom, Jan in 2018, as well as Blair’s sisters, Bonnie Turcato (also a teacher at Taber’s Dr. Hamman School) and Dr. Carli Clemis Bekkering, who practises Family Medicine in Taber and Lethbridge. Other participan­ts are from across the provinceGr­ande Prairie to Medicine Hat, Edmonton to High River, and all points in between.

They are raising funds for Canadian Transplant Associatio­n (CTA) recipients, donors and donor families, athlete’s training experience­s and mental health initiative­s. The most important event coming up is the Canadian Transplant Games, to be held in

Winnipeg in August of 2022.

This event brings together transplant recipients, donors and donor families across Canada to participat­e in track & field, bowling, golfing, cycling, swimming, racquet sports and many other events in the spirit of celebratin­g the “Gift of Life” that we are so grateful for. For more informatio­n on the CTA, the Transplant Trot, the Canadian Transplant Games or organ and tissue donation, please contact Jan at (780)843-6962. Give the gift of life. Register to be an organ donor at: https:// myhealth.alberta.ca/

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