Springfield Memorial Hospital will host a flag-raising ceremony on April 21 to highlight the importance of organ and tissue donation. The event is scheduled for noon at the hospital’s main entrance.
The ceremony aims to raise awareness about the ongoing need for organ and tissue donors in Illinois. According to Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, nearly 5,000 people in Illinois are currently waiting for an organ transplant.
“April is National Donate Life Month,” said Angela Hermes, nurse manager of the Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Springfield Memorial Hospital. “We hold the flag-raising ceremony each year as a way to honor organ and tissue donors for giving the gift of life to others.”
In 2025, Springfield Memorial Hospital had 16 individuals who donated organs and 65 who donated tissues. Officials from Memorial Health, Saving Sight, and Gift of Hope will speak during the event. The public is invited to attend, and staff will be available in the hospital lobby to help register new donors.
Similar ceremonies are planned at four other Memorial Health hospitals across central Illinois.
