The African-American Outreach Task Force (AAOTF) of Carolina Donor Services will host a gospel concert at the Northside High School in Jacksonville on Saturday, November 1, 3 - 5 p.m. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about the critical need for organ and tissue donation.

The AAOTF is seeking church choirs in eastern North Carolina interested in performing in the concert, as well as those interested in helping the task force promote and publicize this event.

The concert is one way that the task force is raising awareness about important donation and transplantation issues among blacks. The task force is committed to developing grassroots efforts to reach people with lifesaving information about donation, helping them understand the critical need for organs, tissues, and dispelling many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding donation.

Richard L. Williams, president of RLW Public Relations Advertising and chair of the task force, said, "We held the first gospel concert in Winston-Salem this past April, and because it proved to be such a powerful, moving way to provide audiences with information about this life-saving issue, we've decided to hold similar concerts across the state.

"Mike Brown, who is an AAOTF member and heart recipient, who lives in Jacksonville, will host this event."

Certain minority groups, including African Americans are more widely affected by diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes, which can cause the need for an organ transplant. Nearly half of the 80,000 people on the national waiting list for organs are minorities, and 35 percent of the patients awaiting kidney transplants are black. By contrast, only about one quarter of all donors are minorities.

Every 13 minutes, a new name is added to the waiting list. Nationally, 17 people die each day while waiting for a transplant. Carolina Donor Services is the federally designated, non-profit organ and tissue donation organization serving 6.1 million people in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and 79 counties in North Carolina.

Church choirs interested in performing in the November 1 concert-or those interested in promoting or attending the concert-should contact Diana Wahsington at 1-888-235-2672 or Mike Brown at 910 455-7644.

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