Taylorville Memorial Hospital will hold a special flag-raising ceremony on Thursday, April 24, to highlight the critical need for organ and tissue donation. The event is scheduled for noon at the flagpole near the hospital’s main entrance and is open to the public.

The ceremony coincides with National Donate Life Month, a nationwide observance aimed at raising awareness for organ donation. According to the Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, nearly 5,000 people in Illinois are currently waiting for life-saving organ transplants.

Eli Hiecher, Chief Nursing Officer at TMH says they hold the flag raising ceremony every year as a way to honor organ and tissue donors for giving the gift of life to others. 

Representatives from Memorial Health, Saving Sight, and Gift of Hope will speak during the event. In addition, hospital staff will be on hand in the main lobby to help those interested in registering as new donors.

Similar ceremonies will also be held at the other four Memorial Health hospitals across central Illinois.