The Colby Foundation annually endows OSU-COM to present the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series.  In 2008, OSU-COM used the Endowment to host a two-day event to educate our future doctors and others about Organ and Tissue Donation.

Friday, April 4th featured speakers Starla Cassani and Kirby D. Slifer, D.O (at left) who addressed two sessions—the first with medical residents as well as third and fourth year students and the second welcoming first and second year students and faculty.

OSU-COM’s students endeavored to expand the educational reach of 2008’s Lectureship by inviting the general public to two associated events.  Friday night, the public was invited to attend a “Scrub Run Spaghetti Dinner.”  The dinner was  hosted by John and Starla Cassani, Founders and Trustees of the Colby Foundation, who were personally touched by loss and by the healing that organ and tissue donation can bring.  Stephanie Bagley of LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma also addressed attendees about the difference each can make through donation. Students, faculty and the public were also invited to Saturday’s “Osteopathic Scrub Run [1].”  Proceeds from this event benefited LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma [2]--an entity that shares the Colby Foundation’s mission to educate and save lives.