Skip to main content

Donor Network West is Proud to Host the Inaugural Together As One Banquet on the Virginia Street Bridge in Reno

RENO, Nev. (May 28th, 2025) – Donor Network West is proud to announce the inaugural Together As One banquet event taking place in Reno on the Virginia Street Bridge on May 31st, 2025. This new annual event serves as a unique opportunity for the city of Reno and the state of Nevada to come together in celebration of the progress made towards eliminating Nevada’s transplant waitlist, ultimately aiding in the elimination of the national transplant waiting list. 

Since OPTN began tracking donors in 1988, Donor Network West has facilitated the donations of 704 donors to proudly serve the Nevada region in saving lives and working towards eliminating the state’s transplant waiting list, showing our passion for the community 

This event, in partnership with the City of Reno and sponsored by Blue Skies Transplant will bring together community leaders, donor families, recipients, living organ donors, organ donation advocates and leaders in this space to share an incredible meal on the iconic Virginia Street Bridge. 

“It doesn’t matter whether you have a direct connection to donation or not.” said Matt Graves, Vice President of Tissue Operations for Donor Network West. “This is an opportunity for everyone to come together as one at one giant table on the Virginia Street Bridge, with live music, food, drinks, and an opportunity to have conversations and share stories to inspire people, creating and fostering that connection to this incredible gift of life, and to honor our donors for the incredible gift that they’ve given, saving lives across Nevada.” 

As of May 20th, 350 people sit on the Nevada transplant waitlist, 334 of those individuals needing a kidney transplant. This is in comparison to 89 donors on the year, with 10 of them being living donors, who are considered heroes in our community, leaving behind an immeasurable impact on the community of Nevada.

Donor Network West partners with a multitude of hospital groups within the Nevada region to save lives through organ donation and transplantation and research, recently launching the Birth Tissue Donation Program at both Humboldt General Hospital and Carson Tahoe Health. You can learn more about these programs on our website. 

To learn more about organ donation and transplantation, visit DonorNetworkWest.org. 

 

May 30, 2025