RICHMOND, VA--(Marketwired - November 21, 2016) - Donate Life America (DLA), a national non-profit organization committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available to save and heal lives, presented twelve Pinnacle Awards at its Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Pinnacle Awards recognize programs successful in inspiring more people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and establishing donation as a cultural norm.

2016 Pinnacle Award Recipients in the following categories (please see below for more information on each award):

• Affinity: Live Nation Partnership, Southwest Transplant Alliance

• Clinical Partners: Pennsylvania Association Community Health Center Challenge, CORE and Gift of Life Donor Program

• Events and Innovation: The Gift of Life Poetry, Storytelling, Short Plays, New England Organ Bank

• Miscellaneous: Legalizing the Donate Life Texas Mobile Scan App, Donate Life Texas

• Volunteers: Providing Hope, Offering Comfort: Donate Life No-Sew Comfort Blankets, Center for Donation and Transplant

• Youth Education: Sign Up! Lunchtime Donate Life Drive on Campus, Sierra Donor Services

• Best Remix: LGBT Outreach, Lifeline of Ohio

• Media and Innovation: Donate Life Hotspots -- WiFi Sponsorship Program, Donate Life Maryland

• DMV and Platinum: Bells for Life, Donate Life South Carolina and South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles

Congratulations to the above organizations for inspiring more individuals to say "yes!" to organ, eye and tissue donation.

To find out more about Donate Life America and organ, eye and tissue donation, please visit DonateLife.net.

About Donate Life America
Donate Life America is a 501(c)3 nonprofit alliance of national organizations and Donate Life State Teams across the United States committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available for transplant to save and heal lives. Donate Life America manages and promotes the national brand for donation, Donate Life^®; develops and executes effective multi-media donor education programs; motivates the American public to register now as organ, eye and tissue donors; maintains the National Donate Life Registry, RegisterMe.org; and assists Donate Life State Teams and national partners in facilitating high-performing donor registration programs.

Pinnacle Award Recipients

Affinity: Live Nation Partnership, Southwest Transplant Alliance
Donate Life Texas (DLT) and Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) forged a partnership with music lovers at a well-known concert amphitheater through a sponsorship with Live Nation. This successful collaboration allowed STA to target their audience by selecting a variety of concerts to attend and engage in a proactive approach to community education about donation.

Clinical Partners: Pennsylvania (PA) Association Community Health Center Challenge, Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) and Gift of Life Donor Program
Community and rural health centers are viewed as the health experts in the communities they serve. In order to reach multicultural and underserved populations with information on donation, Pennsylvania's Organ Procurement Organizations (CORE and The Gift of Life Donor Program), with support and guidance of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC), developed a successful partnership with PA community health centers.

Events: The Gift of Life Poetry, Storytelling, Short Plays, New England Organ Bank
This project creatively and successfully made a donation connection with leaders in the African American Arts community in New Haven, CT, and gave a platform to personal donation stories that allowed audiences to witness donation from another's perspective.

Miscellaneous: Legalizing the Donate Life Texas Mobile Scan App, Donate Life Texas
Through outreach and statewide organizing, Donate Life Texas (DLT) successfully achieved its three legislative agenda goals. DLT demonstrated collaborative and effective advocacy and outreach to help save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Volunteers: Providing Hope, Offering Comfort: Donate Life No-Sew Comfort Blankets, Center for Donation & Transplant
The Donate Life blankets, made by volunteers, offer families comfort and support on-site at the hospital, allowing each family to know that they are not alone and are cared for, and that their loved one and their gifts will be honored and cherished by those who receive their donation.

Youth Education: Sign Up! Lunchtime Donation Drive on Campus, Sierra Donor Services
Recognizing statistics that suggest fewer teens are becoming licensed drivers at age 16, Sierra Donor Services created an alternative venue to join the donor registry and create a pro-donation culture on campus.

Best Remix: LGBT Outreach, Lifeline of Ohio
By participating in the local Pride parade, Lifeline of Ohio reached out to the LGBT community with the Donate Life message and information about how to register in the Ohio Donor Registry. The opportunity led to media opportunities, the opportunity to support the LGBT community and to educate about the difference between organ, tissue and blood donation guidelines.

Media and Innovation: Donate Life Hotspots -- WiFi Sponsorship Program, Donate Life Maryland
This project was aimed at advancing a culture of donation and increasing registration rates in Maryland by offering DMV customers, especially mobile phone users, free Wi-Fi access through Donate Life Maryland sponsored hotspots in twenty-four DMV office locations. Wi-Fi service was branded with Donate Life 'skins' and directed individuals to a Donate Life Maryland donation TV spot on YouTube.

DMV and Platinum: Bells for Life, Donate Life South Carolina and South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
In South Carolina, each time a customer says "Yes" to registering to be a donor and/or gives a monetary contribution to Donate Life South Carolina, the customer is given the opportunity to ring a bell. When the bell is rung, DMV staff claps in recognition and thanks for the customer helping save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. The program uses a simple desk bell produced with the Donate Life brand colors of blue and green. One side of the bell is marked with the Donate Life logo and the opposite side is marked, "I said "YES". This program has been adopted statewide with great success in increasing donor registration and financial support for Donate Life SC.