Contact Information:
Jenny Daigle | jdaigle@aopo.org

AOPO Responds to Research on Motorcycle Rallies Leading to More Organ Transplants

McLean, VA. (November 29, 2022) — The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) read with interest the study by researchers at Harvard Medical School which finds a correlation between motorcycle rallies and an increase in organ donation and transplantation. We appreciate the researcher’s bringing attention to this issue and to the need for greater public safety and organ donation awareness among communities that host and attend motorcycle rally events. 

Motor vehicle accidents, especially in high traffic areas, are one of several tragic circumstances that may result in the opportunity for donation. It is a little-known fact that fewer than 1% of those who die in the U.S. each year actually become organ donors because the circumstances required for someone to qualify as a donor are so specific. This is why our nation’s Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) conduct outreach at a wide variety of events each year to reach the broadest and most diverse audiences. OPOs engage with millions of people a year through partnerships they have formed with DMVs, churches, businesses, sports teams, and major events in their local communities, including motorcycle rallies.

Thanks in part to these efforts, more than 169 million people are registered organ donors in the U.S. today. Yet increased registration is just one piece of the process for increasing the number of transplants across the nation. OPOs, donor hospitals, and transplant centers, with the support of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), collaborate closely each day to evaluate, authorize, allocate, recover, and transport donated organs to waiting recipients. Due to the hard work of these professionals, the U.S. saw a 10% increase in organ donations and a record 41,000 transplants in 2021 and are on track for another record year in 2022. 

AOPO has set a goal to achieve 50,000 annual organ transplants in 2026 and is committed to expanding research that positively impacts organ donation practices and further increases the number of lives saved. The Harvard study informs OPOs’ public education and outreach strategy, and we will use the findings to work with our members to enhance their activities at large events in their areas. 

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The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is the national representative of 49 federally designated nonprofit Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) in the United States, which serve millions of Americans combined. AOPO is dedicated to providing education, information sharing, research, technical assistance, and collaboration with OPOs, other stakeholders, and federal agencies to continue this nation’s world-leading transplant rates while consistently improving towards the singular goal of saving as many lives as possible. For more information, please visit www.aopo.org.