Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, will be joined by 27^th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett and Stan Lewis, executive director of the Kelly Hall YMCA, when speaking about the importance of increasing awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation within multicultural communities, August 1. 2012, 2 P.M.,  at the Kelly Hall YMCA, 824 North Hamlin Avenue, in Chicago.

This is the 16^th National Minority Donor Awareness Day. The nationwide observance aims to educate people about the need for organ, eye and tissue donors within multicultural communities. People of color are disproportionately affected by illnesses, like hypertension and diabetes, which can lead to the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant, increasing the number of patients on the national organ transplant waiting list.

According to Donate Life America, there were 1,995 Black donors and 5,857 Black organ transplant recipients in 2011. The same year, there were 1,891 Hispanic donors and 3,923 Hispanic organ transplant recipients. The goal is to inspire people from multicultural communities to become organ/tissue donors.