Saratoga County Clerk Hayner Urges Organ Donation Registration
(L-R) Saratoga County Clerk Craig A. Hayner, Vice Chair Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Jonathan Schopf, Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett, Donate Life New York State Executive Director Aisha Tator, New York State Senator Daphne Jordan, Saratoga County Resident & mother of an organ donation recipient Karen Chico Hurst, Deputy County Clerk Charles Foehser II
CLIFTON PARK, NY – Saratoga County Clerk Craig A. Hayner today joined Aisha Tator, Executive Director of Donate Life New York State, Karen Chico Hurst, Saratoga resident and mother of a liver transplant recipient, State Senator Daphne Jordan, Jonathan Schopf, Vice Chair of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, and Phil Barrett, Clifton Park Town Supervisor to encourage county residents to register as organ donors when they are at the Saratoga County DMV.
The Saratoga County DMV partners with Donate Life New York State (NYS) each year to recognize April as National Donate Life Month, an annual observance highlighting the critical need for increased organ, eye, and tissue donation in New York State.
During the month of April, the Saratoga County DMV office urges all residents to learn more about organ, eye, and tissue donation and to say yes to donation while completing transactions at the DMV. Promotional items and decorations are on display at all three Saratoga County DMV locations throughout National Donate Life Month as a reminder of the importance of the gift of life.
Nearly 9,000 New Yorkers are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant and 1,500 have been waiting five years or longer. Each year, an estimated 400 men, women, and children in New York State die because an organ doesn’t become available in time.
Approximately 42% of New Yorkers are enrolled in the New York State Donate Life Registry (Registry), the electronic database that documents a person’s consent to be an organ and tissue donor at the time of their death. While more than 6 million New Yorkers are registered donors, this represents the second lowest percentage of registered donors in the country. Saratoga County residents are encouraged to make a difference and give hope to all those in need of a transplant by enrolling in the Registry at the DMV, where nearly 80% of donors sign up.
In 2020, 61.3% of the eligible population in Saratoga County were enrolled in the New York State Donate Life Registry, according to the most recent statistics from the New York State Association of Counties and Donate Life New York State. Saratoga County’s donor enrollment has increased each year since the Saratoga County DMV has tracked its progress. Saratoga County donor registry enrollment was 39.43% in 2017; 53.8% in 2018; and 59.6% in 2019.
“The staff at the DMV engages with the public on this critical health issue more than any other agency,” said Aisha Tator, Executive Director of Donate Life in NYS. “The promotion of organ and tissue donation during Donate Life Month has a lasting impact on the number of registered donors and the lives that will be saved through transplantation.”
Saratoga County Clerk Craig A. Hayner said, “I am proud to say more than half the eligible population in Saratoga County are registered organ donors. This is higher than the statewide average and truly reflects the caring and compassionate nature of Saratoga County residents. The Saratoga County DMV gladly stands with Donate Life New York State to encourage even more people to register as organ donors. Please sign up at your next DMV appointment.”
Karen Chico Hurst, Saratoga County resident and mother of an organ transplant recipient said, “Ours is a family held together by organ donation. We are so grateful to our donor, Craig Hayner, the Saratoga County Clerk’s office, and all the people of Saratoga County who have registered as organ and tissue donors. The single moment it takes to register can make a lifetime of difference for an individual, their family, and their community.”
State Senator Daphne Jordan said, “Organ donors save lives. Becoming an organ donor and giving the gift of life can help make a positive difference for the approximately 9,000 New Yorkers presently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. There is an urgent need for more individuals to enroll in New York State’s Donate Life Registry, which they can do at their local branch of the Saratoga County DMV. I applaud Saratoga County Clerk Craig Hayner’s continued public leadership on this important issue and urge everyone to sign up as an organ donor during Donate Life Month throughout April and beyond.”
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair, Jonathan Schopf said, “For the seventh consecutive year, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution recognizing April as National Donate Life Month. By raising the Donate Life flag at our county municipal building throughout the month, we pay tribute to the many Saratoga County residents affected by organ donation while also recognizing the generosity of registered donors and promoting the lifesaving gift of organ donation. Saratoga County is proud to support Donate Life New York State and National Donate Life Month each April.”
Clifton Park Town Supervisor, Phil Barrett said, “The Town of Clifton Park is proud to support the Saratoga County DMV in its promotion of National Donate Life Month. We are fortunate to have a state-of-the-art DMV in the heart of our community providing our residents with convenient access to DMV services and an effortless way to give the gift of life. Please register as an organ donor at your next DMV appointment. Together, we can increase Saratoga County’s organ donation rates and save lives.”
Additionally, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution recognizing April as Donate Life Month and will raise a Donate Life flag above the County Office Building complex at 40 McMaster Street, Ballston Spa throughout the month.
All New Yorkers age 16 and older can enroll in the New York State Donor Registry, regardless of their medical history. The enrollment option is available on forms used to apply for or renew a driver license or non-driver identification card. New Yorkers can also enroll in the Registry while applying for health insurance through the New York State of Health and on voter registration forms. In addition, online enrollment is available at any tie at donatelife.ny.gov/register.
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