Games Events & Activities For Donor Families Only

Donor Families (families whose loved ones donated organs and/or tissue after death) attending the Games will be able to participate in a number of programs and activities planned just for you. Families will have an opportunity to see the Games and witness first-hand how donation has saved and enhanced the lives of so many transplant recipients. In addition, families may choose to visit Disney’s Wide World of Sports™ Complex and the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Theme Parks, participate in special events and take part in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and parties. Here is a brief look at what the National Donor Family Council and the National Kidney Foundation have planned for you:

National Donor Family Council Volunteers and Donor Family Liaisons will be available to assist you with questions and help you find your way.

Housing - Donor families are free to make reservations and stay at accommodations with their respective local teams (contact the Team Manager or Donor Family Liaison from your team for information). However, families may want to stay with other donor families at the Donor Family Headquarter Hotel. Be sure to mention your request to the Disney Sports Travel agent when calling (407) 939-7810 to book your Games housing package. Transportation between this hotel and other Games venues is included in your package.

Hospitality Suite - A Hospitality Suite will be set up Wednesday through Friday, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, in the Donor Family Headquarter Hotel (The Renaissance WorldGate Hotel). This private room is open for donor families to meet and share with one another or take a break from the Games activities.

	Donor Family Orientation
	Wednesday, June 26 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
	The Milk House at Disney’s Wide World of Sports™ Complex
	The Donor Family Orientation will provide introductions and important information about what to expect throughout the program.
	Giving, Grieving, Growing™ Workshops
	Friday, June 28 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
	Renaissance WorldGate Hotel
	For Donor Families Only – The Giving, Grieving, Growing™ Program will offer morning workshops focusing on bereavement and donation issues on Friday, June 28 only. Bereavement and donation professionals will present workshops for donor families. They are safe places to share and help each other grow. Sessions are optional and run at the same time as some athletic events.
	If your loved one donated organs and/or tissue after death and you would like to attend the workshops, see page 20 to register for two of the workshops described below.
	You may choose ONE of these workshops being held from 9:00 am - 10:30 am:
	Grief: Its Toll on the Family: Grief is a family affair. It may help the family with its grief journey to understand that each family member’s grief is unique and each member will grieve differently.
	Parental Grief: How do parents endure the incomprehensible death of a child? Parents who are further along the grief journey will offer hope to the newly bereaved that they, too, will survive.
	Keeping Your Loved One Part of the Family: Learn about special ways for you and your family to memorialize your loved one.
	How Children Grieve: We will focus on ways we can help children understand death and work through the grieving process.
	Understanding Brain Death: Donor families often have questions such as "What are the differences between brain death and coma?" We will talk about the physical aspects of what happens when a person is brain dead.
	Death of a Spouse or Lifetime Companion: Learn suggestions on coping with grief following the death of a spouse or life partner.
You may also choose ONE of these workshops being held from 10:45 am - 12:30 pm:
	Parental Grief: How do parents endure the incomprehensible death of a child? Parents who are further along the grief journey will give hope to the newly bereaved that they, too, will survive.
	Understanding Tissue Donation: We will discuss the process of tissue donation, including what can be donated, how tissue is used and how long tissue can be stored.
	Volunteering and Raising Awareness: Helping Others and Helping Yourself: When you are ready, volunteering may help you to help yourself. We will offer various opportunities, including tips for using your stories to help educate the public and professionals.
	Men and Women May Grieve Differently: Understanding the differences between masculine grief and conventional grief may help a family move more easily through the grief journey.
	Coping with Special Days: Discuss why special days like birthdays and anniversaries may be difficult and why preparing for those days is important for the bereaved.
	What Ifs: Unfinished business and guilt may be experienced when a loved one dies. We will discuss ways to work through the "what ifs" during this session.
	Donor Recognition Video:
	The Donor Recognition Video, a video collage of non-living donors whose families are representing them at the Ceremony, will be played during the event. Participants who would like to include a photograph of their loved one should send a color or black & white photograph of the donor, including his or her name printed on the back, to: Debi Ryan Miano, 2002 Games Donor Tributes, National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016. Photographs must be received by May 1, 2002 in order to be included in the video. All photographs will be displayed on-site. Families will be invited to collect their photos at the end of the event. Photos not picked up at the Games cannot be returned. Click here to see other activities that include donor families.
	Program Journal Tributes:
	Donor families and family members of living donors are invited to submit a written tribute to their loved ones who gave the Gift of Life. Tributes will be published in the 2002 U.S. Transplant Games Program Journal. Please note that only one tribute can be submitted per donor. Tributes must be 35 words or less and indicate the donor and family members' names clearly (names are not counted in the 35-word limit). Tributes exceeding 35 words will be edited. Please specify if the person is a living donor, and mail by April 15, 2002 to: Debi Ryan Miano, Donor Tributes, National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016. E-mail: debir@kidney.org

All photos courtesy of the National Kidney Foundation and Jay LaPrete.
© 2002 National Kidney Foundation
Having technical problems? Contact the Webmaster