The ninth annual Donate Life Gospel Fest was held at the Cornerstone Church of Christ on Nov. 16, 2019. This is a free event hosted annually by The LLF during National Donor Sabbath to celebrate the lives of organ, eye, and tissue donors and their families in the Baltimore community. This year, the brisk November weather was no match for the warmth and energy emanating from the church as attendees celebrated through laughter, song, and spiritual energy.
Palmer Williams Jr., an actor, musician, and entrepreneur most well-known for his roles in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Love Thy Neighbor, graciously returned to host the event with humor and gusto for the second year in a row. Local artists including Khare Hawkins and Friends, Artavia B., Chico Robinson and the God’s Chosen, and Nadja Scott and the Divine Anointing gave passionate performances as well.
OK, but why? What is National Donor Sabbath?
National Donor Sabbath is observed annually two weekends before Thanksgiving, from Friday to Sunday. This three-day observance seeks to enhance awareness of the critical need for life-saving and life-enhancing donation within all major religions in the U.S. Faith leaders, donor families, transplant recipients, and donation and transplantation individuals are encouraged to participate in services to educate the public about donation. Bringing the topic of donation to religious communities, like our audience at Gospel Fest, is vital to our mission to save lives through donation and transplantation.
“Is Donation Against My Religion?”
One of the most common misconceptions we hear about donation is that the individual’s religion is against it. While we respect each individual’s right to make the decision for themselves, this is why National Donor Sabbath exists: to educate faith communities that organ, eye, and tissue donation is accepted and encouraged by almost all major religions as the ultimate gift.
Interested in seeing what your religion believes about organ donation? Check out the extensive list on our website here. If you have any questions or concerns, we strongly encourage you to talk with your religious or spiritual adviser.
Be sure to join us in 2020 for the tenth annual Donate Life Gospel Fest on Nov. 14!