Steubenville, Ohio—April 6, 2026 –Trinity Health System, a member of CommonSpirit Health, invites the community to celebrate the “gift of life” during its annual Donate Life Flag Raising ceremony. The event will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, April 7, at 11 a.m. at the West Campus flagpole.
The ceremony serves as a cornerstone of National Donate Life Month, a time dedicated to encouraging Americans to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors and to honoring those who have saved lives through donation. This year’s event features a deeply personal keynote: the family of Trinity Health System’s first heart donor will speak about their loved one’s legacy.
“The significance of this month is the opportunity to get information out to the public,” said Tara Frankovitch, Organ Donation Coordinator at Trinity Health System. “Many people don’t necessarily know how or where to sign up as an organ donor. The events provided during this month of awareness simplify that process. It also allows folks to fully understand organ donation and the overwhelming impact the gift of life can have on another family.”
In addition to the flag raising, Trinity Health System is creating a “Pinwheel” garden on the hospital grounds. Each pinwheel serves as a visual recognition of the donors who have provided life-saving organs and tissue, spinning as a symbol of hope and the renewal of life.
Clinical Need for Donors Remains Critical
According to Frankovitch, the gap between those waiting for transplants and available donors is a pressing public health challenge.
“Donors are important because organ donation impacts the overall health of so many people,” Frankovitch noted. “The fact is that far more people have active chronic illnesses than there are donors. Each donor has a chance to significantly impact the health and wellness of the community. It is such a caring and selfless act of kindness and longevity.”
The decision to donate often happens during a family’s most difficult moments. Frankovitch observed that even when a patient wasn’t registered prior to hospitalization, families often choose to “choose life” on their behalf.
“Most families are willing and honored by the thought,” she said. “This gives them an opportunity to provide an organ, tissue, or eyes to someone in need, offering the thought or feeling that a part of their loved one lives on.”
The upcoming ceremony will specifically highlight this bond.
“When I invited the mother of our first heart donor to our flag raising, she immediately agreed and asked if she could bring her daughter’s picture,” Frankovitch shared. “She loves and misses her daughter, but just in talking with her, you can tell how proud she is that her daughter saved a life.”
A Personal Mission for Frankovitch
For Frankovitch, the mission is also personal. Her grandfather was a heart transplant recipient, an experience that informs her work every day.
“My own family has been on the receiving end, and I cannot express the gratitude that we have for the heart my grandfather received,” she said. “It gave him and my family an extra 12 good years together. There are no words to describe how much that means.”
Members of the public and the media are encouraged to attend the flag raising to support donor families and learn more about how they can register to save lives. For more information on organ donation, please visit DonateLife.net.
We are inviting all media organizations to attend this ceremony. Laurie Labishak, Market Director, Marketing & Communications, will be on hand to facilitate interviews.
