Organ donor signups sought at Warren County DMV

WARREN COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The heart-shaped "organ donor" symbol on a New York State driver's license has a special meaning, signifying that the license holder would like an organ, eye or tissue donated to someone else after their death. This month, Warren County is making an effort to get more of those heart-shaped icons on licenses.

The Warren County office of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is one of numerous DMV offices across the state to team up this month with the New York Alliance for Donation, seeking to sign up more organ donors. From April 14-29, anyone who registers as an organ donor at the Warren County DMV will be entered into a drawing for one of a number of gift bags. Prizes will be drawn on April 29.

As of Friday, 31 new organ donors had already been registered at the Warren County DMV office. April is National Donate Life Month at the New York Alliance for Donation.

The effort is also meant in part to raise awareness to shortages in organ donations. According to numbers provided by the Alliance for Donation, 8,500 New York State residents are waiting for an organ transplant in a critical situation. Of those, 1,400 residents have been waiting for five years or more.

Any in-person transaction at the DMV at Warren County Municipal Center can be an opportunity to sign up as a donor. Promotional documents and Donate Life information will be available onsite at the center in Queensbury.