June 19,2025 – Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has launched a public awareness campaign encouraging Illinoisans to spark a lifesaving “ripple effect” by becoming organ donors.
The ad, which is the first in a series building on the positive ripple effects of organ donation, will begin running this week.
“Some 4,000 Illinois residents are in need of a transplant, including many whose lives hang in the balance waiting for the availability of a suitable organ,” Giannoulias said. “By choosing to become an organ donor, Illinoisans can catalyze a cascade of positive action, empowering recipients to pay the gift forward by helping those around them.”
In the illustrative narrative, a firefighter who was granted the gift of life through organ donation saves a tutor at the scene of an accident, who in turn helps a young student earn admission into college. The story is rooted in real-world accounts of organ recipients starting a chain reaction of positive change with their second chance at life. See the video below.
Illinois has one of the largest registries in the nation, averaging over 20,000 sign-ups per month across DMV facilities, with around 6.5 million total current registrants. A single donor can save or improve the lives of up to 25 people.
Approximately 4,000 people are on the transplant waiting list and tragically about 300 die waiting for a transplant every year.
To become a donor, Illinoisans can register with the Secretary of State’s Organ and Tissue Donor Registry by visiting LifeGoesOn.com, calling 800-210-2106 or signing up at the DMV.
