Member for Barker Tony Pasin has welcomed a locally developed social media campaign aimed at encouraging people to take a minute out of their day to join the Australian Organ Donation Register.
‘Herd of Hope’ has been awarded $17,600 by the Federal Government as part of the Community Awareness and Education program to encourage more residents to talk about organ and tissue donation and register on the Australian Organ Donor Register.
The Morrison Government has awarded a total of $407,194 in Community Awareness Grants to projects across Australia as part of its Community Awareness and Education program which is administered by the Organ and Tissue Authority.
“20 community-based projects have been awarded funding across the country including ‘Herd of Hope’ based in the Barossa. Herd of Hope will use the funding to create seven, one minute videos to run on social media to increase awareness of organ and tissue donation in Australia,” Mr Pasin said.
“The Government recognises that these sorts of local and community based projects make a difference.”
“I encourage everyone to get behind Herd of Hope’s campaign on social media to help promote organ and tissue donation,” Mr Pasin said.
Of the 20 projects funded, 14, including Herd of Hope’s digital campaign, will launch during DonateLife Week 2019.
DonateLife Week, Australia’s national awareness week dedicated to promoting organ and tissue donation, will be held from Sunday 28 July – Sunday 4 August 2019.
This DonateLife Week all Australians are encouraged to register to be an organ and tissue donor at donatelife.gov.au to have the opportunity to one day save lives.
Around 1,400 Australians are waitlisted for a transplant and a further 11,000 Australians are on dialysis many of whom would benefit from a kidney transplant.
“If you are sick, a transplant can mean the difference between blindness and seeing, walking or not, and sadly, life and death,” Mr Pasin said.
“Organ donation is not an isolated act, it involves family, loved ones, friends and the local community to get involved and talk about registering as an organ and tissue donor.”
Read more about ‘Herd of Hope’ at https://herdofhope.com.au/ and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theherdofhope/
Media Contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8531 2466
