As Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) geared up to celebrate National Donate Life Month in April of this year, hospitals and health care organizations from across the state were also busy preparing for donor registration events and celebrations they would be hosting at their facilities and in the community.

Fifty-nine organizations signed up to participate in Health Care for Hope, DNA’s outreach campaign geared at getting medical professionals and health care providers involved in educating and registering Arizonans as organ, eye and tissue donors. This was the fifth year DNA organized the campaign, and participating organizations took their creativity over the top to produce some of the most original and effective outreach events in the history of the campaign.

The Health Care for Hope team at Chandler Regional Medical Center organized a singing and dancing flash mob at the entrance of the hospital to catch people’s attention and draw them over to the event. Speakers from the hospital and a Donate Life Arizona volunteer gave speeches sharing the importance of donation and encouraging onlookers to register.

“We have personally seen what donation can do for families of people who have given or received an organ,” explains Tricia Coryea-Hafkey, leader of Chandler Regional Medical Center’s Health Care for Hope team. “It’s so meaningful. Because of this, we committed to doing something memorable this April.” Chandler Regional Medical Center won the award for Most Creative Outreach at the Health Care for Hope Awards Breakfast on Monday, June 22.

Banner Thunderbird, first place winner for Most Overall Registrations, looked outside of their facility to find new opportunities for donor registration. Working in collaboration with DNA, Banner Thunderbird staff manned registration tables at three public events including HopeFest at Chase Field that was attended by more than 20,000 people.

“I think every hospital should be a part of Health Care for Hope,”

says Jan Hadley, leader of Banner Thunderbird’s Health Care for Hope team. “But it wasn’t just our hospital – we were able to reach out to our community and get people involved in Donate Life Month.”

Several health care organizations also stepped up to the challenge of participating in Health Care for Hope including the national pharmacy brand, Walgreens. This organization encouraged all of their staff to register as donors and also held registration events at 17 store locations throughout the state. Store managers at the event locations were invited to get creative promoting their event which led to great results for this first-time participant. Walgreens was awarded first place for Most Overall Registrations from a Health Care Organization.

The dedicated creativity of this year’s participants made Health Care for Hope 2015 a great success. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of hospital registry teams and health care organizations, more than 4,800 people said yes to hope and generosity by registering or reaffirming their decision to be organ, eye and tissue donors.

For more information about Health Care for Hope, visit HealthCareforHope.org.