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(03/21/2002) Secretary of State Candice S. Miller today announced that Secretary of State Buddy Day will be celebrated Tuesday, April 2, to kick off April as Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Month.

This is the eighth year that the Secretary of State's Office has partnered with the Gift of Life under Secretary Miller's administration to present Buddy Day. The event seeks to promote greater awareness among the public about the need for donors by allowing Gift of Life "Buddies" into Secretary of State branch offices.

"We are extremely pleased to once again open our branch office doors to the Gift of Life, so they can extend the Buddy Day message to the thousands of our customers," said Secretary Miller. "Each person who adds their name to the Michigan Organ and Tissue Donor Registry brings hope to the more than 2,400 Michigan men, women and children waiting for a life-saving transplant. The gift of life is one of the most precious gifts you can give. I'd encourage everyone to discuss organ and tissue donation with their families, enroll on the donor registry and sign the back of their driver license."

On Buddy Day, Gift of Life Executive Director Tom Beyersdorf will join Secretary Miller at a news conference at the Port Huron Hospital and the Shelby Lakeside Secretary of State branch office for a special announcement about the Department of State donor enrollment program.

This year, about 85 branch offices will host Buddies, volunteers dedicated to promoting greater awareness of the need for organ, tissue and eye donation. Buddies have either received a transplant or are waiting for one, or they are the family and friends of a recipient or donor.

Buddies will be in branch offices on April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to distribute organ donor information including the donor registry brochures, pencils and other educational materials. Branch offices without Buddies will have organ donor information on display.

Residents who will not be at a branch office on Buddy Day still have plenty of opportunities to enroll on the Michigan Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. Enrollment cards are available at any branch office and are mailed with every driver license and state identification card. In addition, the Secretary of State web site provides residents with the opportunity to register online.

The Gift of Life Agency is Michigan's only certified, full-service organ recovery organization. The agency acts as an intermediary to provide educational resources about donation for donors, recipients, physicians and hospital staff.

For more information about organ donation, contact the Gift of Life Agency at 1-800-482-4881.