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Boone DMV Examiners Awarded for Sign-Up Efforts

May 17, 2012. It’s a simple question asked within a series of others: “Do you want to be an organ donor?” DMV Examiners across the state ask this on a daily basis to North Carolinians receiving or renewing their driver’s licenses or ID cards. However, this one question has the potential to save the lives of up to eight people through the gift of organ donation.

Donate Life North Carolina awarded a trophy and plaque to the Boone Driver License Office of the NC Division of Motor Vehicles (NC DMV) for achieving the highest donor designation rate for both its district and the entire state for 2011. The Boone office signed up 69.6 percent of its customers as organ and eye donors in 2011, while the average state sign-up rate last year was 52.8 percent.

The Boone DMV also received the award for the highest donor designation for the state in 2010 during the first Donate Life NC recognition program. Donate Life NC recognizes the driver license offices in each of the 14 DMV districts in North Carolina for achieving the highest and the most improved donor designation rates in their respective geographic regions. The purpose is to share appreciation for the examiners, whose job has a direct impact on the more than 114,000 people across the country waiting for a much needed organ.

Pictured here from left to right are District Supervisor Reggie Kyle, Examiner Jeremy Casey, Senior Examiner Craig Lyons, Examiner Dale Taylor, Judi Bryant, Carlton Bryant, and Katie Paulson. Judi and Carlton Bryant serve as Donate Life NC DMV Ambassadors for the Boone office. Beth Hinesley with Carolina Donor Services also participated in the presentation on behalf of Donate Life NC.

“We developed this program in 2010 to acknowledge and honor the efforts of DMV personnel who serve as integral members of our donation and transplantation teams,” said Sharon Hirsch, Executive Director of Donate Life NC. “Each day, DMV personnel help facilitate donation wishes as people receive or renew a driver’s license or ID card in North Carolina. These decisions have life-saving implications for not only the over 3500 North Carolinians on the waiting list but the tens of thousands across the country awaiting organ transplants. We hope the awards program highlights their efforts and creates more opportunities for people to make the decision to donate.”

Donate Life North Carolina (Donate Life NC) is a collaborative group of organizations that promote organ, eye and tissue donation including Carolina Donor Services, LifeShare Of The Carolinas and the NC Eye Bank. Working together, the member organizations are directly involved in supporting donor families and facilitating organ, eye and tissue transplants across the state. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, our work includes school education, Division of Motor Vehicles outreach and donor registry supervision. Our mission is to inspire all North Carolina residents to save and enhance lives by registering as organ, eye and tissue donors. People here in North Carolina can register by visiting their local DMV office or register online at DonateLifeNC.org.