Donate Eight, a non- profit organization founded by members of the New York City real estate, building management and building service community in response to the immediate need to increase organ donation and awareness, will hold its first annual “Spring Cocktail Reception” on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Manhattan’s Gotham Hall located at 1356 Broadway.
The organization is called “Donate Eight,” because it is possible for one registered donor to give up to eight life-saving organs: heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, and intestines. Donate Eight is associated with the New York Organ Donor Network.
“I have always been troubled by the fact that lives could be saved, if only more people were aware of the importance of organ donation. On average, one person dies every 13 hours in New York waiting for a life-saving organ,” said Scott Salmirs, a founding member of Donate Eight and executive vice president of ABM Industries. “We saw a great need to shine a spotlight on this cause that has a measurable impact on the amount of lives saved.”
Donate Eight’s Board of Directors is made up of dedicated members from all aspects of the New York City real estate community, including Gene Boniberger, Rudin Management Company; Michael Bosso, Brookfield Office Properties; William Dacunto, Silverstein Properties; Jodi Goldman, SEIU Local 32BJ; David Markiewicz, Goldman Sachs; Marianna McGillicuddy, JP Morgan Chase & Co.; Steven Pescatore, AIG; Marino Prodan, Jones Lang LaSalle and Scott Salmirs, ABM Industries.
The need for organ donors has never been more apparent – more than 117,000 people in the United States are waiting to receive an organ transplant, and about 8,000 of them are located within the New York Metropolitan area. The donor list continues to grow at a steady rate, with a new person added every ten minutes.
Individual tickets for the “Spring Cocktail Reception” start at $500. For more information on Donate Eight, to become a sponsor of the “Spring Cocktail Reception,” or to become a registered organ donor, please visit www.donateeight.org
