New Application Offering Hunters in West Virginia Option to Register as an Organ Donor is Now Live

PITTSBURGH, Dec.11, 2019 – The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is proud to announce that for the the first time, hunting and fishing license applications in West Virginia will include the option to register as an organ donor. This noteworthy inclusion is the result of a combined effort by CORE, Donate Life West Virginia, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources and the Office of Governor Jim Justice to push forward legislation allowing hunters and fishers in West Virginia to sign up as organ donors while getting their license for the upcoming season. This option is also included on the newly established lifetime license application.

“Hunting and fishing is a legacy pastime in West Virginia,” said Susan Stuart, president & CEO, CORE. “And presenting West Virginians the option to become a registered organ donor while getting their license is a nice parallel to the legacy that is left behind when someone decides to give the ultimate gift. This has been a goal of ours for quite some time and, thanks to collaboration with our wonderful partners, we were able to make it a reality. It is our hope that other states will choose to follow West Virginia’s lead, giving even more people the potential to receive the gift of life.”

West Virginia is one of the first states in the nation to provide an organ donation registration option in the hunting and fishing licensing process. Others, including Pennsylvania, are considering similar legislation.

Hunters and fishers in West Virginia are able to apply for their licenses online and at select in-person locations. The application is now available for the 2020 season.

CORE is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has an office in Charleston, West Virginia, and serves 150 hospitals throughout western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, New York. With a mission to Save and Heal lives through donation, and a vision that one day, every potential donor will make A Pledge for Life, CORE focuses on increasing understanding and awareness of organ donation and transplantation.

About CORE

The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is one of 58 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States, serving 150 hospitals and more than five million people in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, New York. CORE coordinates the recovery and matching of organs, tissues and corneas for transplant and works tirelessly to create a culture of donation within the hospitals and communities we serve. CORE’s mission is to Save and Heal lives through donation, while maintaining integrity for the donation process, dignity for the donors, and compassion for their families. CORE is a winner of the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a presidential award that recognizes innovation and excellence. For more information or to register as an organ, tissue and cornea donor, please visit core.org.

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