Audio ShowcaseStory ShowcasePhoto ShowcaseOpening CeremoniesDonor Recognition CeremoniesQuilt PinningClosing CeremoniesVolleyball CompetitionTennis CompetitionBowling CompetitionTrack & Field CompetitionTable Tennis CompetitionSwimming CompetitionRaquetball Competition5K RaceGolf CompetitionCycling CompetitionBasketball CompetitionBadmiton CompetitionKidsTeamsDonar Families1999 Summer World Games1999 Winter World Games1998 U.S. Games1997 Summer World Games1996 U.S. Games

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Press ReleaseMessagesBehind the ScenesWebcast Sponsors
OPENING CEREMONIES All audio by Doug Armstrong
Introduction of Heather French, Miss America 2000.  Ms. French sings the National Anthem to kick off the opening ceremonies. (2:52)
Reggie Williams, Vice President of Disney's Wide World of Sports, welcomes all of the athletes, donor families, and other participants. (1:22)
Fred Herbert, chairman of the National Kidney Foundation, adds his welcome to everyone and highlights the importance of the U.S. Transplant Games as a key method of increasing awareness of the need for organ donation. (3:41)
Listen as San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliott, recipient of a living donor kidney transplant from his brother, Noel, and the first professional sports athlete to return to his sport, expresses his appreciation to the crowd and acknowledges all of the transplant athletes as champions even before the competition begins! (1:33)
Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson expresses his pride and thankfulness for being able to donate one of his kidneys to his daughter. (2:42)
Larry Hagman, liver transplant recipient and television and movie actor, has become a lively and animated spokesman on behalf of organ donation.  He implores the assembled crowd to "Recycle yourselves like metal cans" and shows off his transplant scar to the audience. (3:47)
National Kidney Foundation executive director John Davis acknowledges the many corporate sponsors of the U.S. Transplant Games, and expresses especial appreciaion to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the title and founding sponsor. (3:04)
The director of the American Red Cross, Henry Korent, compares transplant recipients to recovering victims of natural and manmade disasters.  The Red Cross is a proud sponsor and continues to provide assistance in the form of blood for transfusion and many other services on behalf of transplant patients. (2:38)
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration supports transplantation and organ donation through its programs, grants, and contracts.  Lynn Rothberg-Wegman, Director of the Division of Transplantation at HRSA, reminds the audience that thanksgiving comes in many forms and that thankfulness for the receipt of an organ adds new meaning to the lives of all concerned. (3:41)
United Resource Networks CEO David McLean adds his welcome and congratulations to the transplant athletes. (1:05)
Anthony Venditti, Vice President of Transplant, Tissue Engineering, and Immunology at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, leads a team of 300 individuals dedicated to transplantation.  He welcomes everyone, and reviews the history of the U.S. Transplant Games, which date to 1990.  Mr. Venditti then introduces a retrospective film depicting the history of the Games. (4:01)
Olympic Gold medal winner Carl Lewis tells the athletes that they have already won the battle -- that it isn't about taking a medal home. (4:55)
Kidney transplant recipient and three-time Transplant Games participant Michael Coonfield thanks all of the donors, including donor families and living donors, for their selfless gifts.  Mr. Coonfield met his future wife en route to the World Games in France.  She had had a previous liver transplant. (6:08)
Local donor family Jeff and Linda Wentzell and daughter Erin recount the tragedy of the loss of their other daughter Alex.  They point out how compassionately they were treated during the process of donation and how their previous conversations with Alex about her wishes made the decision to donate an easy one for them. (4:32)
Listen to "Heroes for Today", sung by emcees Juan and Jaygee. (3:35)
Reverend Skip Weisenbaker offers the benediction. (1:59)
Bryce Jurek and Joseph DeNoia, the youngest and oldest participating athletes, lead the assembly of athletes in reciting the Athletes' Oath. (1:42)
Hear Fred Herbert declare, "I now pronounce the 2000 U.S. Transplant Games open!" and the entire audience say " Let the Games begin!" (0:49)
The finale of the Opening Ceremonies is heralded by a beautifully choreographed rendition of "A Star is Born." (3:13)
 
CLOSING CEREMONIES All audio by Doug Armstrong
Reggie Williams, Vice-President of Disney's Wide World of Sports, reads a congratulates the athletes and reads a poem by William Ernest Henley. (2:34)
Presentation of AST Outstanding Achievement Awards to D.J. Lampert from Team Eastern Missouri and Metro-East and Team Florida's Bert Steiner. (7:11)
Presentation of the NKF's Making Life Better Award. (6:20)
Presentation of a gold medal to NBA Star and kidney recipient Sean Elliot. (4:41)
Mickey Mantle Courage Awards go to Maia Thayer and James Mitchell. (6:30)
Florida Congresswoman Karen Thurman is an advocate for organ donation. (3:42)
Stand Up and be Counted! Recognition of recipient post-transplant milestones. (1:45)
NKF CEO John Davis (10:27)
Brent Connelly, Director of Transplantation Marketing, Novartis Pharmaceuticals. (4:23)
Michikata Okubo, Executive Director of the 13th World Transplant Games Kobe, Japan, invites everyone to the 2001 World Transplant Games. (4:27)
Passing the Games flag and extinguishing the torch. (1:56)
   
NATIONAL DONOR RECOGNITION CEREMONY All audio by Bob Merion
Fred Herbert, chairman of the National Kidney Foundation, welcomes over 1000 donor families and living donors to the Donor Recognition Ceremony at the 2000 U.S. Transplant Games. (2:20)
A warm welcome is offered by Vicki Crosier, Volunteer Chair of the National Donor Family Council. (1:55)
Lynn Rothberg-Wegman from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration joins in welcoming donor families and living donors to the Donor Recognition Ceremony. (3:18)
The North American Transplant Coordinators Organization is represented by its president, Bruce Nicely. Mr. Nicely addresses the spiritual and emotional aspects of the human characteristics of selfless giving in the face of difficulty and pain. (3:38)
Tissue donation is also recognized at the National Donor Recognition Ceremony. Elena Lopez, who just turned three years old, was treated with a heart valve donated by a gracious family. Her mother, Sarah, eloquently expresses her appreciation and relates her experience of writing to the donor family. (3:51)
Gerard Migliore received a kidney transplant over 13 years ago. He has since married, gotten a job, and embraces life in every possible way. He relates the tragic story of three brothers who died from kidney disease and compares his family's saga to that told in the film Saving Private Ryan. (13:48)
C. H. (Skip) Wisenbaker, III is the Chaplain and Associate Director for Professional Pastoral Education at LifeLink of Georgia. Listen to his invocation, a poem written by Rabbi Alvin Fine. (2:30)
The Alleluia Singers of the First United Methodist Church of Lakeland, Florida sing "Take These Wings." (4:38)
 
5K Race
Olympic Gold medalist Carl Lewis talks to TransWeb about the impact of the Transplant Games on organ donation (7:21) by Bob Merion
Listen to runner Chris Chiarello, 52, the first transplant recipient to cross the 5K race finish line. (2:22) by Bob Merion
Donald Ehnot, Team Philadelphia celebrates the 10 year anniversary of his heart transplant by going for the gold (4:45) by Doug Armstrong
Gold Medal winner Kristin Zimmer updates TransWeb webcaster Bob Garypie on her success at the 2000 US Games. Bob also interviewed Kristin at the 1996 and 1998 US Games. (1:48) by Bob Garypie
 
BASKETBALL
NBA Hall-of-Famer Oscar Robertson pauses during the basketball clinic to speak with TransWeb. (1:24) by Doug Armstrong
NBA San Antonio Spur Sean Elliott shares some personal thoughts about the kidney he received from his brother Noel. (5:00) by Doug Armstrong and Randy Milgrom
Mike Binder, heart recipient from McDonald, OH, moments after Team Ohio's quarterfinal win in men's basketball. (1:28) by Doug Armstrong
Eighteen year old Team Indiana transplant athlete Nick Winn talks to TransWeb about his experiences in his fourth U.S. Transplant games. (2:10) by Bob Garypie
 
BOWLING All audio by Doug Armstrong
Experience Joelle Elizabeth Atkinson's, Team Philadelphia, infectious enthusiasm with life. Joelle received a medal at the Bowling competition. (2:58) by Doug Armstrong
Sharon Thomas, a heart-lung recipient from Team Arizona, describes an emotional reunion with other recipients and her donor family. (2:43) by Doug Armstrong
Milton "Mickey" Hart, Team Upstate New York, is approaching his 10 year transplant anniversary and shares the story of both of his double-lung transplants. (3:08) by Doug Armstrong
 
CYCLING All audio by Doug Armstrong
Ursula West reflects on her 4.5 year old heart prior to competing in the cycling race. (2:42)
David Landsberg, Dallas, TX, received his independence from dialysis on July 4, 1999. Listen to him recount his Guinness Book of World Records triathalon. (1:41)
David's parents, Phil and Lee, discuss their son's illness and post-transplant recovery. (3:49)
 
SWIMMING All audio by Doug Armstrong
Nine-year old Jason Howell prepares for his 2nd US Games competition. (1:27)
David Burgio reunites with medal winners from the 1999 World Transplant Games. (1:38)
Michael Manor, Jr., Greenville, MS medals at his first Transplant Games. (2:05)
 
TRACK AND FIELD
Kendall Barnes shares his 10-year experience with the Transplant Games competition and celebrates his 19-year kidney transplant anniversary. (2:05) by Doug Armstrong
 
COFFEE HOUSE POETRY READING (OPEN MIC)

Listen to donor families, transplant recipients and healthcare professionals read poems, share memories, and celebrate the "Gift of Life" (1 hr 34 minutes) by Jason Sprawka and Bob Merion

   
DONOR FAMILIES
Bill Walton, whose wife and son both had heart transplants (and whose son later became a donor) speaks out on the relationships forged through transplantation, the beauty of the words "thank you," and how each of us can make a difference (10 minutes) by Jason Sprawka and Bob Merion
   
   
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