OneLegacy's Donate Life Hollywood Invites Students to Help Save Lives by Creating Inspiring PSA's That Debunk Myths Regarding Organ Donation
High school and college students from throughout Southern California are being encouraged to showcase their talents and creativity in a way that can help save lives by participating in OneLegacy's Donate Life Hollywood (DLH) third annual Storytellers Contest. This year's contest invites students to create a one-minute PSA that dispels the myth "they won't work as hard to save me if I have a donor dot."
"This problematic and unfounded myth is among the top reasons why some people don't sign up as a donor," said DLH Founder Tenaya Wallace. "Hollywood has had a hand in creating and perpetuating this myth, so we are targeting the next generation of storytellers to help debunk it."
A panel of actors and writers will review video submissions with winners announced at the DLH Inspire Awards ceremony this fall. The grand prize winner receives $1,000 plus the opportunity to meet Carol Barbee, showrunner on the hit show "Raising Dion" on Netflix. Second place awards of $500 each will be presented to the winners in the high school and college categories. The PSAs will also become part of AccessDLH.org, a free resource for the entertainment industry.
"Nationally there are approximately 107,000 people waiting to receive a lifesaving heart, liver, lung, kidney or pancreas transplant and the need for transplants is growing far faster than potential donors as less than 1% of all deaths qualify for donation," said Wallace. "That makes it critically important that the public hears accurate information regarding donation rather than dramatic myths.
The Storytellers Contest is open to high school and college students who reside in one of the seven southern California counties served by OneLegacy: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern. Wallace says that all students are welcome to enter, but "we are especially interested in engaging the many prestigious film schools and arts magnets in the L.A. area to make Hollywood myths a thing of the past."
Deadline for submission is May 20. Complete submission details and resources for debunking the myth can be found at https://accessdlh.org/storytellers/
Throughout the year, DLH serves as a liaison between the organ donation community and the entertainment industry to encourage more authentic and empowering stories about donation and transplantation. It is an initiative of the OneLegacy Foundation, the education, research and support arm of OneLegacy, the nonprofit federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) based in the heart of Hollywood. DLH is further supported by OPOs, transplant centers and patient groups around the country.
As part of its mission, DLH provides film companies, television programs, entertainment studios, producers and writers easy access to a network of experts?from renowned transplant surgeons to families whose loved ones became an organ donor?for free consultations on all aspects of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. DLH also assists with casting, production and publicity support. All services are outlined on AccessDLH.org. You can follow Donate Life Hollywood on Twitter at @DL_Hollywood, on Instagram at @DL_Hollywood or on Facebook at @DLHCampaign.
About OneLegacy
OneLegacy is the nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern. It serves more than 200 hospitals, 10 transplant centers, a diverse population of 20 million donors and families across the region and waiting recipients across the country. Becoming an eye, organ or tissue donor is easy and can be done by registering online at donateLIFEcalifornia.org/OneLegacy or by "checking YES" at your local DMV. For more information, visit OneLegacy.org
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