Searching for Bigfoot? You’ll find him at the DMV

The next time you visit your local DMV, be prepared to see a new (hairy!) face. Bigfoot is teaming up with two local institutions, LifeSource and the Department of Public Safety, to help bust myths around organ donation and encourage Minnesotans to make the legendary choice to register as donors! This is part of a big new public initiative to help reduce the waiting list for life-saving organs and address the needs of thousands of Minnesotans in communities across the state.

LifeSource is the federally-designated, medical organization responsible for managing the organ donation process in the Upper Midwest. While the organization has several targeted public awareness campaigns aimed at increasing the number of registered organ donors, the new campaign featuring Bigfoot is built upon the need for more men to register. Why men and why Bigfoot? It’s clear that Bigfoot knows a lot about myths and, unfortunately, myths and misconceptions is a key factor for people’s hesitance to register as organ donors.

Minnesotans are known for their generosity and care for those in their community. The examples of the real Minnesota nice are many. Take the Bauer family – when Josh and Kayla Bauer’s infant son, Coyle, needed a kidney transplant, they found themselves waiting on the generosity of others. While the Bauers hoped someone in their family would be able to donate, none of them were a match. After 7 months of waiting, Josh, a firefighter in Faribault, was working a 24-hour shift when they got the call that there was a potential match.

“I broke down in front of the guys,” Josh said. “I was so grateful to that person who added themselves to the donor list.”

Coyle’s transplant was successful and he’s now a thriving, energetic little boy with a charming smile who loves to talk about his kidney. It was shortly after their son’s transplant that Kayla and Josh felt compelled to register as organ donors. “The first thing we did was go to the DMV and register [as organ donors],” said Kayla, with Josh adding “How can I expect someone else to be a donor if I’m not willing?”

The fact that Josh waited to register as a donor until he had firsthand experience with donation is not surprising - especially among men. A recent LifeSource study on men’s attitudes and beliefs about organ donation revealed that about 10% of unregistered men said they are likely to register, but just haven’t gotten to it yet.

And men have good reason to pay attention - they have a greater chance of both being donors and needing transplants, yet fewer of them are participating in the system by registering as an organ donor. The statistics are staggering:

● Nearly 50% of Minnesota men are currently not registered as organ donors.

● More than 100K people are waiting for a life-saving transplant and 62% are men.

● As a registered organ donor, one person can save and heal more than 75 lives!

Increasing the number of lives saved through organ donation directly connects to increasing donor registration.

For the last four decades, LifeSource and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety have invested in initiatives to provide Minnesotans with information about organ donation to help people make informed decisions when they check the box on their drivers’ license or ID card. While there are several ways to register as an organ donor, including online, more than 90% of people still register at the DMV.

Beginning this month, Minnesota DMVs will feature Bigfoot to remind people to register and inspire them to learn more about organ donation. DMV offices will feature new ways for people to engage and learn via informational posters, cards, stickers, and more. A 7 foot tall Bigfoot cut out stand and wall decals with a QR code will direct people to the initiative’s landing page with more information and the national donor registry form in the event they forget to register while they’re in the DMV office. While organ donation is a topic that can be personal and at times heavy, this new Bigfoot campaign focuses on the bigger, more positive side of this altruistic gesture and creates opportunities for engagement activities at the DMV that can result in a higher number of registered donors.

Are you ready to register? One person can save and heal more than 75 lives through donation! Check the box at the DMV or register online at life-source.org.