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Team MO-KAN

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Since 1990 and the beginning of the U.S. Transplant Games our team members have participated in the bi-annual event to showcase the success of organ, eye and tissue donation, while honoring our donor families. We are proud of our team’s history and hope you enjoy taking a look back at our team and the team members who have made the journey with us.

If you have not reached out to us, we would love to hear from you and have you become a member of our team.

The 1990 U.S. Transplant Games were held on the campus of Indiana University/Purdue University in Indianapolis. Participation included more than 400 athletes and 600 supporters.

The 1992 U.S. Transplant Games were held July 16 – 19 on the campus of UCLA with over 850 athletes competing and more than 2000 total supporters in attendance. The concept of locally organized teams was introduced with over 35 teams participating, most of whom spent over a year prior promoting the Games and their involvement to the local media and their local transplant communities.

The 1992 Games were also the first to invite a donor family to address the Games participants directly. The reaction to the involvement of donor families at this event, demonstrated by vivid example to the entire transplant community, the strong desire and need for better communication between transplant recipients and donor families.

The Kansas City areas first team to attend the Transplant Games was known as Team Kansas City Heartline and was represented by four heart recipients, one liver recipient along with the team manager.

The 1994 U.S. Transplant Games were held August 3 – 7 on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and drew more than 1,000 athletes and 2,500 total supporters, who participated as part of 52 teams. Special programs for children and educational symposia for recipients, families and friends were included. A special donor family tribute was also paid to the 4,000 families who donate their loved ones organs each year.

Team MO-KAN proudly sent a contingent of nineteen area recipients and their families to the Transplant Games in Atlanta.

The 1996 U.S. Transplant Games were held August 22 – 25 on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and were the largest gathering of transplant recipients in one place to date. In addition to the already established events of the Games, additional emphasis was placed on the team aspect of the Games. Team golf and team bowling were added in addition to 3-on-3 basketball as a competition event.

Team MO-KAN was proudly represented by twenty-two area transplant recipients, their family and friends.

The 1998 U.S. Transplant Games were held August 5 – 8 on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The 1998 Games featured the National Donor Recognition Ceremony, a program for donor families, procurement professionals and living donors, as part of an expanded Opening Ceremonies that included the University of the United States Post Office new organ donation stamp. Competition in team volleyball and the 200 meter event in track and field were also added.

Team MO-KAN was proudly represented by a contingent of more than 140 people, including 49 transplant recipients, 8 donor families and 7 living donors. Competing in more than 14 sporting events team members won a total of 47 medals, including 21 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze. The team included members ranging in age from 15 to 70 years, including heart, kidney, liver and pancreas recipients.

The team was proudly sponsored by BMA, Hoechst Marion Roussel, North Kansas City Hospital, W.L. Gore & Associates, Neill & Associates and the Midwest Organ Bank.

The 2000 U.S. Transplant Games were held June 21 – 24 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, and had the highest level of attendance to date with more than 7,000 people. For the first time, donor family liaisons were added to the team structure and donor families were actively recruited as part of official teams.

Team MO-KAN was proudly represented by a contingent of more than 140 people, including 49 transplant recipients, 8 donor families and 7 living donors. Competing in more than 14 sporting events team members won a total of 47 medals, including 21 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze. The team included members ranging in age from 15 to 70 years, including heart, kidney, liver and pancreas recipients.

The team was proudly sponsored by BMA and the Midwest Organ Bank.

The 2002 U.S. Transplant Games, were once again held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, June 25 – 29. For the first time, a Living Donor Recognition Ceremony was held to celebrate those who gave the most precious gift, of life. Among the celebrities attending the event were kidney transplant recipient and San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliot, NBA legend Oscar Robertson, actor Larry Hagman, and Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis.

Team MO-KAN again sent a large contingent of more than 135 people, including 41 transplant recipients, 7 donor families and 7 living donors. Competing in 12 sports and more than 37 sporting events team members won a total of 45 medals, including 19 gold, 7 silver and 19 bronze. The team included members ranging in age from 17 to 72 years, including heart, kidney, liver and pancreas recipients.

The team was proudly sponsored by BMA and the Midwest Organ Bank.

The 2004 U.S. Transplant Games were held July 28 – August 1 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and marked the 50th anniversary of transplantation. A special Tribute to Pioneers of Transplantation was held to honor Honorary Chairman of the 2004 Games, Dr. Joseph Murray, who perform the first successful transplant in the world, alongside his colleagues who pioneered transplant surgeries. Approximately 7,000 participants attended Opening Ceremonies at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.

Locally nearly 200 members, including 46 transplant recipients, 10 donor families and 9 living donors, participated as members of Team MO-KAN. Competing in over 13 sports and more than 37 sporting events team members won a total of 80 medals, including 16 gold, 29 silver and 35 bronze. The team included members ranging in age from 4 to 68 years, including heart, kidney, liver and pancreas recipients.

The team was proudly sponsored by the Missouri Kidney Program, Gear for Sports, Capital Federal Savings and Midwest Transplant Network.

The 2006 U.S. Transplant Games were held June 17 – 20 in Louisville, Kentucky.

More information will be available at a later date regarding our teams participation.

The 2008 U.S. Transplant Games were held July 11 – 16 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

More information will be available at a later date regarding our teams participation.

The 2010 U.S. Transplant Games were held July 30 – August 4 in Madison, Wisconsin.

More information will be available at a later date regarding our teams participation.

The 2012 Transplant Games of America were held July 28 – 31 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and marked the first Transplant Games organized under the auspices of the Transplant Games of America.

Team MO-KAN was proudly represented by ten team members, one donor family, four transplant recipients and five supporters.

The 2014 Donate Life Transplant Games of America were held July 11 – 15 in Houston, Texas.

In 2014, Team MO-KAN proudly sent a contingent of 76 people, including 20 transplant recipients, 9 donor families and 2 living donors. The team included members ranging in age from 15 to 70 years, including heart, kidney, liver and tissue recipients.

The team was proudly sponsored by Dakota Lawrence, Gear for Sports, Midwest Transplant Network, Paxton Creative Resources, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, The University of Kansas Hospital and Trio.

The 2016 Donate Life Transplant Games of America were held June 10 – 15 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Fifty-eight members of Team MO-KAN attended, consisting of eighteen transplant recipients, nine donor families, two living donors and twenty-nine supporters took part in the bi-annual celebration of life with the goal helping raise awareness for more Organ, Eye and Tissue donors.

Team MO-KAN recipients and living donors alike competed in twenty-one Olympic-style competitions throughout the six day event. Youth team member Brendan Elam led the way bringing home a total of seven medals as well as the Peoples Choice Award for the Lyrics for Life competition; helping the team win a total of thirty-five medals including seventeen gold, fifteen silver and three bronze medals.

The team was proudly sponsored by Blair’s Foster Socks, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Dakota Lawrence, Fowler Picker Trial Attorneys, Kansas City Life Insurance Company, Local Union #124, I.B.E.W., ISS Infinity Sign Systems, Paxton Creative Resources, Omega Designs, Research Medical Center, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City and The University of Kansas Hospital.

Sixty-seven members of Team MO-KAN participated in the 2018 Donate Life Transplant Games of America, August 2 – 7, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The team consisting of nineteen transplant recipients, nine donor families, two living donors and thirty-seven supporters took part in the bi-annual celebration of life with the goal helping increase the need for more organ, eye and tissue donors, while celebrating the lives of their donors.

Team MO-KAN organ, eye, and tissue recipients including two living donors brought home a total of thirty-three medals, including twelve gold, thirteen silver and eight bronze medals over the course of the six-day competition.

Team members would like to thank the following partners for their continued support: Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Breanne Conterio Foundation, Calvary University, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City Life Insurance Company, Local Union #124 I.B.E.W., Midwest Transplant Network, Omega Designs, Paxton Creative Resources, Piper Middle School, Kansas City TRIO, Starr Homes LLC, Saint Luke’s Health System, and Superior Title KC.

For the full press-release, read here.

For more information on joining Team MO-KAN, contact us at info@teammokan.org.

For information on becoming a financial partner of Team MO-KAN, please contact us at (816) 304-4914 or email Chris Paxton at sponsors@teammokan.org.