UR Medicine’s Critical Care team will host the first-ever Critical Care Gala on Friday, April 25 at The Arbor Midtown in Rochester. The event, organized in partnership with the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, aims to raise awareness and funds for organ donation, a cause integral to the work of critical care nurses.
Tickets for the gala are $125 per person or $1,150 for a table. The evening will bring together healthcare professionals and community members to celebrate and support the life-saving impact of organ donation.
“Organ donation transforms lives,” said Madison Dunn, a surgical ICU nurse and co-organizer of the event. “It’s fulfilling and emotional to care for transplant patients and see them receive a second chance at life.”
Dunn and her colleagues, including Assistant Nurse Manager Shannon Eckel, were inspired to create the gala as a way to connect with colleagues while highlighting the importance of organ donation. FLDRN coordinates organ and tissue donation across 37 hospitals in the Finger Lakes, Central, and Northern New York regions and supports transplant recipients and their families.
More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for life-saving organ transplants, including over 500 patients at UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital. Despite record-setting transplant numbers in 2024, the shortage of donors means patients face long waits, and an average of 17 people die each day while waiting for transplants.
The gala’s proceeds will support FLDRN’s work to address the organ donation gap by providing education, resources, and support to patients, families, and healthcare providers.
In addition to raising funds, the gala aims to encourage participation in organ donation. Anyone 16 or older can register through the New York State Donate Life Registry, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or during voter registration. Living donations are also an option for kidney and liver transplants, with altruistic donors playing a critical role.
“We hope this event will become an annual tradition,” Dunn said, emphasizing the critical care team’s dedication to raising awareness and supporting those impacted by organ donation.
Visit criticalcaregala.com to purchase tickets or learn more.
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