Donation champion award winners for 2024 will be announced this month

Gift of Life's President and CEO, Dorrie Dils, presented the Multicultural Difference Maker award to donor mother Artelia Griggs at the 2023 Champions Gala

Tickets available for the popular April Gala

Gift of Life Michigan will soon announce the names of about 20 donation champion award winners which will include Hospital of the Year, Legacy and Honoring Life through Donation honors.

A near-record number of people, hospitals or organizations were nominated this fall for the extraordinary work they do to promote donation or help make it happen across the state.

“We’re overwhelmed by the interest and participation this year in what has become Gift of Life’s premier event honoring heroes in the field,” said Director of Advancement Susan Rink. “We can’t do our work without champions in our communities, hospitals and transplant centers. And we can’t wait to hold up their work in April.”

The annual cocktail-attire event has evolved since 2019 into the most inspiring and emotional gathering Gift of Life has to offer to Michigan’s donation and transplant community.

Staff from Ascension St. John Hospital celebrating their Hospital of the Year award at the Champions Gala in 2023.The sixth celebration of excellence will expand in 2024 to allow for greater sponsorship and partnership opportunities and higher attendance with individual tickets available for sale for the first time. To learn about sponsorship opportunities or purchase tickets go to golm.org/gala.

Winners for 2024 will be honored on April 4.

“We just want to welcome as many people as we can so they can help us celebrate all the incredible life-saving work,” Susan said. “Everyone leaves this event with full hearts, so why not share that?”

The signature gala is also Gift of Life’s premier fundraiser, helping pay for the gala itself and other initiatives that support its mission and community. The event has so far recognized about 100 individuals and organizations.

The awards strategically represent every aspect of the donation process from efforts to grow the Donor Registry to exceptional work at schools, hospitals, funeral homes, transplant centers and more.

Winners will be chosen from nominations submitted this fall by the public and by Gift of Life employees who work with hundreds in the donation field every day. The accomplishments of nominees cover their work over the past 18 months and — in some cases — over years.

Gift of Life received a record number of nominations, an indication that the donation community is engaged and its members are working hard to save lives.

Susan Rink, director of advancementTo learn about sponsorship opportunities or purchase tickets go to golm.org/gala. The annual Champions Gala is thriving thanks to the generosity of sponsors. If you, your hospital, organization or other workplace is interested in supporting the event financially, please reach out to Susan Rink at [email protected].

“We can’t do our work without champions in our communities, hospitals and transplant centers. And we can’t wait to hold up their work in April.”

Read more in the LifeLINES newsletter

Read More Posts
Richard "Jake" Jacobson and his dog at a sunflower farm

Veteran shares struggle in hopes to inspire “at least one”

Richard “Jake” Jacobson’s motto is “at least one.”  “My hope is that by sharing my…

Read More
X-ray images of brains

The Facts: Brain death, circulatory death and comas

Most Americans are in favor of organ donation, but not everyone who joins the donor…

Read More
Paddles for a Purpose

Grand Rapids pickleballers take on Guinness World Record for a worthy cause

Four Michigan pickleball players are hoping to set a new world record and raise both…

Read More
Hailey Brouillet had a fantastic time in Europe shortly before she passed and became an organ donor. Pictured here holding a red rose in front of a tall building.

Sharing her spirit

Hailey Brouillet was 20 years old and in her junior year at Oakland University when…

Read More
Sue Pilon

Celebrating BRA Day and the gift of tissue donation

Each year, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Gift of Life Michigan recognizes Breast…

Read More
Blake Hermann, liver transplant recipient, playing with foam numbers on a wall.

Two-year-old Blake receives life-changing liver transplant

When Blake Hermann was seven months old, his mother, Molly, noticed that he wasn’t progressing…

Read More
Scroll to Top