Brandon Caruso

The township hall in South Holland was lit up purple for National Donate Life Month to raise awareness for organ and tissue donations. The township also raised a flag Wednesday and dedicated the effort to late Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli, who advocates say raised awareness for organ and tissue donations.

“I’m hoping this will be an annual thing every year for April to celebrate National Donor Month in his honor,” said Micaela Smith, the township’s manager for community relations and external affairs. “We’re looking to educate the residents on what Frank did with Gift of Hope and what it meant for him.”

While the display was a first for Thornton Township, Zuccarelli started a Mayors for Hope conference in 2015, which sought to get south suburban mayors more involved in organ and tissue donation education efforts, Smith explained.

“He brought a lot of attention to it,” Smith said. “We want that to continue.”

Marion Shuck, the vice president of governmental relations and external affairs for the Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, said Zuccarelli, who died in January, was a kidney recipient. He also worked with the organization for more than 25 years to raise awareness for the cause.

“He was a strong donation and transplantation advocate, so much so that a lot of the initiatives that we did within the township were due to Frank,” Shuck said. “Any time we had a platform, any time we went to do anything, he made himself available, he made the township available.”

Gift of Hope is a not-for-profit organization that coordinates the process of organ and tissue donations, as well as public education efforts in Illinois and northwest Indiana. Its April push serves as a reminder of the critical need for organ and tissue donations. The campaign aims to get more than 30,000 new people registered as donors in Illinois to help save the lives of more than 100,000 people waiting for transplants.

Shuck said connecting with organizations in communities is an important part of that effort. Gift of Hope also has a ceremony slated for April 28 at OSF Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park.

“People need to hear from people in leadership positions, understand the process of organ donation, understand education and awareness opportunities,” Shuck said. “The township helps promote that.”

The Illinois Secretary of State handles registration for organ donation in Illinois, a decision Shuck said is legally binding. More than anything, Shuck said Gift of Hope wants families having that discussion well before any end-of-life tragic circumstances, when things can become a blur for families.

“Many people believe that organ and tissue donation is an altruistic and good thing to do,” Shuck said. “However, many people don’t understand the process of organ and tissue donation. That’s really about having a conversation about organ and tissue donation, having a conversation about end-of-life decisions, letting your loved ones know what your wishes are.”

Wednesday’s activities included a ceremony with Zuccarelli’s family, as well as families of organ donors and recipients. Attendees were given purple glow sticks and encouraged to wear purple to the event. People are asked to don the color throughout April in recognition of the cause.

Ken Zuccarelli, Frank’s brother, said the late township supervisor was on dialysis for 3-4 years before he received a kidney transplant in 2013, and was always grateful the donation kept him going for nearly another decade. Zuccarelli said Frank would have loved to see the building in purple for the cause.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Zuccarelli said. “I think he’d be humbled by this.”

Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard also announced the municipal building at 333 E. 162nd St. in South Holland is being renamed the Frank M. Zuccarelli Building.

More than 150 hospitals, public agencies, businesses and communities across Illinois and northwest Indiana are taking part in the Gift of Hope efforts this April, including honor walks, candle ceremonies, displays and outreach campaigns, according to the organization.

“It’s a great opportunity to disseminate the message on so many levels and with so many different donation partners that we can’t help but increase registration and increase education and awareness,” Shuck said.

For more information about organ and tissue donation, go to giftofhope.org.

Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.