Eagle PR spreads awareness through Down to Give campaign

Through their spring semester campaign, Eagle PR at Oklahoma Christian University is hoping to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation.

The campaign is being used for their participation in the National Organ Donor Awareness Competition (NODAC), facilitated by the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the Anthony J. Fulginiti PRSSA Chapter at Rowan University.

“Every semester, Eagle PR does a campaign,” junior Haleigh Evans said. “Last semester, we did the Up to Us campaign that was centered around the national debt. This semester, we are competing in NODAC. We started the campaign by conducting research and have been raising awareness through a social media campaign and events.”

Eagle PR had booths on campus last week to raise awareness for their campaign, as required by the NODAC competition guidelines. Evans said she wants people who are not involved in organ donation to consider changing their minds in order to help those around them.

“The ultimate goal is to get people who aren’t organ donors interested in being organ donors,” Evans said. “We took the route of helping anyone realize why being an organ donor is important and impactful. I would love for people to learn that being an organ donor is one of the most impactful things a person can do and that there are always people that need transplants.”

Evans said her involvement in the campaign and hearing stories of organ donation has stoked her interest and passion in the topic.

“It’s important to me, because I am an organ donor myself,” Evans said. “I think it’s a really good thing. I’ve heard many organ donation stories, and the ways the transplants impact lives are so inspiring.”

According to Evans, people of faith have a special responsibility to be involved with organ donation in order to help those around them in all ways possible, which makes the Oklahoma Christian campus a special one for the NODAC campaign. She said Eagle PR has done work on a variety of platforms to raise awareness.

“It should be important to us as Christians to give back and help others in any way we can,” Evans said.“This is another way we can do that.”

According to the NODAC webpage, approximately 117,000 Americans are on organ waiting lists, and recipients outnumber donors. On average, 22 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant.

“NODAC seeks to raise awareness and discussion in society, specifically in families, about the need for organ and tissue donation,” the webpage said.

The campuses which obtain one of the top positions in the awareness competition will receive a cash prize and be honored at the 2019 PRSSA National Conference.

According to the webpage, chapters participating in the awareness competition must conduct a daylong event in April, Organ Donation Awareness Month, to inform students, faculty and staff. The submission to the competition must also include promotion of the importance of organ and tissue donation, conducted primary and secondary research, a campaign evaluation and supplemental information.

The campaigns are judged by Rowan University faculty and PRSSA executive board members on the extent of the influence, creativity, execution, publicity, research, professionalism and supporting materials.

Final submissions to the competition are due May 15th. The 2019 conference will be held from Oct. 18-22 in San Diego, CA.