RCH hosts flag raising ceremony for Donate Life Month

Riverside, Calif. — Riverside Community Hospital hosted a special flag raising ceremony today, in partnership with OneLegacy, the largest organ, eye and tissue procurement organization in the United States, to honor those who have given the ultimate gift of life by being organ and tissue donors. 

104,619 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Thirteen people die each day waiting for an organ transplant and every eight minutes, another person is added to the transplant waiting list. One organ donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance the lives of over 75 people through tissue donation.

“In 2024, more than 24,000 donors brought new life to recipients and their families,” said Peter Hemstead, chief executive officer at Riverside Community Hospital during his welcome. “And that’s why we are here today – to honor those donors. The collective raising of Donate Life flags represent a visible and unified affirmation that ‘Donation Saves Lives’ and inspires people to register their decisions to donate.”

Speakers at the ceremony included LuCyndi Ramirez, senior vice president of external partnerships, OneLegacy, and Nicole Heimerl, OneLegacy ambassador.  Nicole shared how her son, Austin Garrett Nicely, passed away in 2014 in a motorcycle accident. The family strongly believes in the power of organ donation and knew Austin would want to give the gift of life to others. Austin’s pancreas, liver and both kidneys were transplanted and his tissue helped 173 people across the nation.  

Local Emergency Medical Services partners joined the ceremony in support of organ donation including AMR, Primary Ambulance, Advantage Ambulance and the City of Riverside Fire Department.

The ceremony concluded with the Riverside Fire Department raising the Donate Life Flag. The flag will fly the whole month of April in honor of organ donors.