The Transplant Trot is making its debut in Lloydminster.
After going on annually for about a decade nation-wide, the 5km run/walk is happening at the Servus Sports Centre’s indoor track. Â The event aims to raise both awareness and funds for organ and tissue donation in Canada, and will run from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, January 23rd.
Normally, ‘the Trot’ takes place in the spring during National Organ and Tissue Donation Week, but Regional Coordination for the Canadian Transplant Association, Donna Krilow-Lorenz, says that the spring is a very busy time in Lloydminster so the group decided to move the date to avoid competition with other charities and in order to not have to deal with the weather, by hosting an indoor walk.
“For the people that are going to participate, there’s a registration fee,” says Lorenz. “Of course, some of that is going to cover the cost of the venue…we have participant bags with their ‘Trot’ t-shirts and a few awareness materials. So some of the money definitely will go into our fundraising account. And like all charities, a small portion does have to go to our national organization. But two-thirds of any of the monies that we do raise are kept here in Lloydminster for awareness materials and projects,” explains Lorenz.
Participants must register online by Friday, January 15th at transplanttrot.ca/lloydminster for a fee of $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for youth under 16 years of age.
Lloydminster residents will also get the chance to learn more about organ and tissue donations and transplants as well as become registered donors on-site.