Announcements

• Colby Foundation Founder and Trustee Addresses Rotary Club, January 2012.  In January, Starla Cassani, our lead speaker, shared her family's story of organ donation with the Sparks Centennial Sunrise Rotary Club.  The Cassanis' journey began with profound grief and moved to hope through organ donation and through the founding of the Colby Foundation.
• National Donor Sabbath is two weekends before Thanksgiving each year. Does your faith community participate?  Donation and transplant professionals join faith communities and focus on the life-saving and life-affirming gifts that can be passed to others through organ, tissue and blood stem cell donation. Faith leaders participate in services and programs to increase awareness of donation and transplantation and the critical need for donors. Donation is viewed by nearly all major organized religions as an act of compassion and generosity. Temples, churches, mosques, and other places of worship can observe the National Donor Sabbath in their own unique ways.  Click here to find out more and to access materials that your faith community might use.
• November is National Marrow Awareness Month.  Did you know that a simple swabbing of your inner cheek is all it takes to register as a bone marrow donor? This is a great time to learn more and to consider saving lives by becoming a bone marrow, blood stem cell, and umbilical cord blood donor. Click here for  more information.
• August 1:  Each summer, August 1st marks National Minority Donor Awareness Day.  This is a day set aside,  not only to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation,  but also to promote preventive health and to address obstacles to donation.  For more information, visit the Office of Minority Health
• April is National Donate Life Month:  This is a month set aside to raise awareness and to inspire the choice to be an organ and tissue donor.  Each of us has the power to save lives.  Click here to  Learn.  Share.  Contribute.  Be a hero!  Be an organ donor!
• March 11th is World Kidney Day.  Did you know?  26 million Americans, 1 in 9 adults, have chronic kidney disease and another 20 million are at risk.  Have your kidney health checked (for FREE), learn more about preventing kidney disease and about the tremendous need for kidney donations in a location near you. 
• March is National Eye Donor Month.  Did you know?  More than 52,000 people have their sight restored through corneal transplantation in the US each year!!  We honor and thank past donors and their families for the tremendous gift of sight they have given and we CELEBRATE with those who have had their sight restored!
• February 14.  Each year, February 14th is significant for more than just Valentine's Day.  Today is designated as National Donor Day focusing on the "five points of life"  organ, tissue, marrow, platelets, and blood donation.  Donation drives are held throughout February nationwide.  Be a hero!  Be a donor!  And THANK YOU!
• January is National Blood Donor Month.  Did you know that blood is needed EVERY THREE SECONDS?  Taking just one or two hours to donate blood---a possible New Year's Resolution?  To learn more and to find locations where you may donate blood, please click here.
• January 1.  The Colby Foundation is thrilled to be a part of the Rose Parade this year!  A rose will be placed on the Donate Life float "New Life Rises" to honor Colby's gift of life to three others.  His rose will be among 3300 others donated in memory or in honor of loved ones who gave or received a life giving organ/eye/tissue donation.  If you mised the parade, you can see the float at about 13:10 into this video.  Enjoy!

Past Announcements

Press

• The Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series (CCELS) was covered by JET-TV recently at LECOM--one of six schools awarded the CCELS by the Colby Foundation.  See it here...
• Congratulations to Brayden, who received Colby's heart, for all of his work helping others with heart conditions.  Read More...
• Congratulations to medical students at two schools that will be holding their first Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series (CCELS) in fall 2010.  The Colby Foundation is proud to award the CCELS to these schools!  Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-DCOM) in Yakima, Washingon and Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) in Harrogate, Tennessee celebrated their "White Coat Ceremonies" in September.
• The Colby Foundation congratulates medical students at the first College of Osteopathic Medicine to be awarded the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series.  Oklahoma State University, Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) held its 12th annual "White Coat Ceremonies" in August.
• All three of LECOM's campuses (Erie, Bradenton, and Seton Hill) held their "White Coat Ceremonies" this winter.  The Colby Foundation congratulates medical students (at schools granted the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship) on their transition from classroom study to clinical education!  Our warmest welcome to Seton Hill whose INNAUGURAL CLASS held the school's very FIRST White Coat ceremony!  (read more about each of the three ceremonies by clicking the campuses above)

PAST ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PRESS

• December 2009: LMU-DCOM becomes the fourth school and sixth campus awarded the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series.  LMU joins OSU-CHS, PNWU-COM, and LECOM's Erie, Bradenton, and Greensburg campuses in receiving this prestigious award   Read more
• December 2009:  Our Trustees, the Cassanis announce our Annual Annual Fundraiser and Holiday Appeal.
• November 2009.  The Colby Foundation is pleased to announce award of its endowment to two additional schools of medicine!  Soon the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series will ensure education about organ and tissue donation is part of the curriculum at Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine and Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine.  Stay tuned for dates and details.
  LMU-DCOM opened its doors in 2007 as both Tennessee’s newest medical school and only osteopathic medical school.  Located in Harrogate, Tennessee, its main mission is to serve the underserved of rural Appalachia with educational opportunities.
  PNWU-COM opened its doors in 2008 and trains 75 new primary care physicians each year.  Located in Yakima, Washington the  medical school  is devoted to training future doctors who will serve the needs of those living in the non-urban communities and rural areas of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
• June 2009:  The Colby Foundation is now on facebook.  Visit us there, become a "fan", and let us know your thoughts about and experiences with organ donation and transplantation!
• April 2009:  Medical Students at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) have renamed their annual 10K fundraiser to honor Colby and the recipient of Colby's heart, Brayden.  Students attend the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series during years one and two of their medical school curriculum.  Inspired by Colby's story, students chose to rename their fundraiser to honor Colby's memory as well as Brayden, whose life was saved when Colby's heart was donated.
• March 2009:  LECOM Erie joins its Bradenton campus in hosting the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series.  In addition to medical students, practicing physisians attending LECOM's annual continuing medical education conference listened to the lecutreship in March 2009.  Read more
• February 2009:  LECOM Bradenton holds its first Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series in February 2009. Read more
• October 2008:  Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) will present for the academic year 2008-2009 its first Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series (CCELS) at two of its three campuses.  On February 13 and 14, the CCELS will take place at its Bradenton, Florida campus.  On March 12th and 13th, the CCELS will take place at its Erie, Pennsylvania campus.  Please check back for more details.
• July 2008:  The Colby Foundation announces award of its endowment.  LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) will receive the foundation's endowment to support the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series at each of its three locations – in Erie, PA, Bradenton, FL, and Greensburg, PA. Read more
• June 2007: Colby’s heart recipient is thriving fourteen years after his heart transplant. Brayden’s family recently celebrated the news that his latest heart biopsy shows no sign of rejection. Many organ recipients must take several anti-rejection medications to ensure the body does not reject the organ. Brayden’s family are thrilled to report that, because he is doing so well, he requires just one anti-rejection medication. In addition, Brayden’s regularly scheduled biopsies will not be needed annually. He is approved to wait three years until the next evaluation. Read Brayden's story.
• Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine received a four thousand dollar endowment from the Colby Foundation for the eighth year. For the 2007 – 2008 academic year, the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series will take place in the spring. OSU COM is the first school to have received the Colby Foundation’s endowment.
• The Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series 2006 at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine: Colby Foundation Trustee, Starla Cassani; and LifeShare Oklahoma representative, Stephanie Bagley, brought Colby's story and the state of organ and tissue donation in our nation to medical students. Read more
• Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association highlight the work of the Colby Foundation. Read more
• “Intestinal transplants will now be subject to the same rules for reporting, tracking and allocation currently in place for other transplantable organs…Intestinal transplantation – which may include the esophagus, stomach, small or large intestine, or any portion of the gastrointestinal tract – is considered for patients with irreversible intestinal failure due to surgery, trauma, or acquired or congenital disease that cannot be managed through the intravenous delivery of nutrients, also referred to as total parenteral nutrition…” Read more