FLINT — Gift of Life Michigan is teaming up with Hurley Medical Center for its fourth Flint Trivia Night on Aug. 10, with the in-person event taking place on the rooftop of the Flint Farmers’ Market at 300 E. First Street.
Trivia night will start at 6:30 p.m. featuring questions about pop culture and local history, as well as organ and tissue donation to help debunk some myths surrounding organ donation.
“Engaging the community while breaking down some common misconceptions about organ and tissue donation is a win for all,” said Shalonda Griffin, community relations coordinator at Gift of Life. “A lot of good can come from organ and tissue donation, but it’s still a difficult issue to talk about and we want to help bring awareness and information so that folks make informed decisions.”
Griffin created the idea in 2020 when COVID- 19 put most events on hold. Trivia Night won a Pinnacle Award for Best Virtual Program from Donate Life America in 2021.
The event will be catered by two, Black-owned businesses: Mr. Prince’s Tacos and Snacky Brown, both located in the Flint Farmers’ Market.
1-3rd place winners will receive gift cards to Elle Jae Essentials, a Black-owned skincare business
The event takes place during the month of August which is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, a collaborative effort by national organizations to save and improve the quality of life of diverse communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye and tissue donation. It’s designed to increase awareness about the need for minorities to sign up on the Organ Donor Registry, correct misconceptions about the process, and encourage people to lead healthier lives.
Those interested in attending can register at golm.org/trivia.
There are about 106,000 people waiting for a life-saving transplant in the U.S. and about 60 percent of them are either Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific, or of Middle Eastern descent.
About 65 percent of patients waiting for a kidney transplant in the U.S. are minorities, according to the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations.
In Michigan, 2,401 patients were waiting for a life-saving organ as of July 1. Of those, 733 were African American, 99 Hispanic, and 63 were of Middle Eastern descent.
For more information or to sign up as a donor, visit golm.org/register.