STAFF REPORTS
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LOCKPORT — To the strains of bagpipe music blasted out by a heart transplant recipient, Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski will hoist the Upstate New York Transplant Services “Donate Life” flag over the Niagara County Courthouse Tuesday.
He’ll then listen to an impassioned plea from the Lockport High School Donate Life Club to encourage more motorists to register as organ donors on their drivers licenses.
Joe Baschnagel, who received a new heart in 2011, will be on hand to demonstrate that organ donors can actually change the lives of organ recipients. The heart recipient, an active volunteer firefighter in Cambria and Boy Scout leader, will demonstrate his bagpiping skills before speaking out about the importance of signing up as a donor.
“Joe Baschnagel is a living example of the great things that organ transplants can make possible,” Jastrzemski said. “The flag we’re raising says ‘Donate Life,’ and that really is true. Many organ recipients go on to not only live full lives, but the fullest lives, because someone else made a conscious choice to turn tragedy into hope.”
Jastrzemski himself is new to organ donation, having signed up as an organ donor last year, saying at the time that as county clerk—and head of the county’s Department of Motor Vehicles—he needed to lead by example on an important issue.
“Stories like Joe Baschnagel’s convinced me that organ donation is something we need to encourage in county motorists,” Jastrzemski said. “It also convinced me that you truly can’t take it with you, but you might be able to turn another person’s life around.”
Lockport High School student Ben Flaherty will also speak, bringing the perspective of the county’s newest motorists to this important issue. Flaherty is a member of LHS’ Donate Life Club. He’ll be joined by fellow students Julia LaRose and Hannah Cavanagh.
“We’re glad to hear from our young drivers, from people just getting behind the wheel for the first time,” Jastrzemski said. “Ben’s voice is an important one, because it’s critical we convince new motorists of the importance of donation, when they first sign up for a license.”
The event will also feature representatives of UNYTS and local dignitaries.
