Ohio University students will have the chance to save a life on Tuesday by simply filling out a form.
Students for Organ Donation will be screening "Seven Pounds," starring Will Smith —a film focused around organ donation — in Baker University Center Theatre beginning at 7 p.m.
The event is free and refreshments will be provided.
“With this event, we hope to increase the awareness about the importance of organ donation, to increase the number of members in our student organization and to register some as organ donors,” said Pamela Brown, director of OU Summer Sessions and the group’s faculty advisor, in an email.
One of the main goals of the group is to inform students about the process of organ donation and to dismiss any fears or negative connotations associated with it, said Zachary Bourgraf, a member and senior studying communications.
Bourgraf said he joined the group because of his uncle, who has received two kidney transplants.
“Organ donation; it’s a pretty personal thing, so we want (students) to know it’s not like jury duty, where someone calls you up and you have to do something,” he said. “It’s more personal. It’s always your option.”
Registration forms will be available at Tuesday’s event, said freshman Hannah Adams, the group’s treasurer, adding that students can also register online in their own time.
Because of a previous lack of funds, this will be the group’s first major event.
A SCORE Grant, the organization applied for fall semester, will fund the movie’s screening, Bourgraf said. SCORE stands for Student, Community, Outreach, Resource and Endowment, and grants are dispensed through the Community Service Leadership Council and are meant to help student organizations with the cost of volunteer projects, according to the online application.
The group chose to tie the event into Valentine’s Day. The group decided that Valentine’s Day, a day celebrating love and giving, would provide a good theme for the event, said Bourgraf.
Bourgraf wants students to come away from the event knowing that organ donation is important.
“(We want) to let people know how many people die a day waiting for organs, how many people are put on the waiting list per day, and how many people’s lives are saved from organ donation,” said Bourgraf.
md781510@ohiou.edu
