Tribute to Life

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Friday, October 25, 2024
7 p.m. EST
In Person and Virtual Stream Event

Tribute to Life honors those who gave the Gift of Life through organ, tissue and eye donation. You may attend in person or virtually on YouTube Live. Here is everything you need to know.

JOINING VIRTUALLY? No need to register. When it’s time for Tribute, a simple click takes you straight to Tribute to Life on YouTube Live. One minute prior to the start, you will see a countdown, and then you will be with us. Please remember that, if you are a donor family who wants your loved one to be in the Faces of Life video, you must submit your loved one’s photo by the deadline. See information below.

JOINING IN PERSON? You need to register, know where you’re going and a few other things. See below.

  • Location. Tribute to Life will take place at Christ Church CCPVB, located at 400 San Juan Drive in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. We are happy to return for the fifth year to this special place that is warm, open and welcoming.
  • Registration. This is required so that we can make sure we have adequate seating and refreshments for all. To register, email us at PRDept@LifeQuest.ufl.edu or call us at 352-733-0350. Please provide the name of your loved one who became a donor and the names of all in your group.
  • Parking. We recommend you park in the upper level of the Christ Church parking garage. It provides easy access to the Contemporary Worship Center where Tribute to Life is held. Volunteers and signs will direct you to check-in.
  • Start Time. Because our event is live-streamed, we must start exactly at 7 p.m. EST. Please arrive early so you have time to park, check in and find a seat. Late arrivals will be asked to wait for seating assistance to avoid disturbances or interference in the broadcast.
  • Faces of Life. Donor families who want their loved ones to be included need to submit a photo of the donor by October 1, 2024. Not sure what this is about? Watch the 2023 Faces of Life video to understand this powerful piece. If you decide you want your loved one to be part of Faces of Life, here’s what you need to know:
    • All photos must be received by mail or email by October 1, 2024, and must be accompanied by a media release signed by the donor’s legal next of kin.
    • Choose a photo that captures the donor’s personality. Please include your loved one’s name on the back of the photo or in the email, and please share the name in the way you’d like it displayed in the video.
    • The photo should be at least 75 KB or larger in a JPG format. Please send the largest file size possible, often the original size.
    • You may email the photo to PRDept@LifeQuest.ufl.edu or mail to LifeQuest at 4016 NW 22nd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32605.
  • Coming from out of town? Hotels close to the event location include the following:
  • What we have planned.  During our program streamed live from Christ Church in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, we will offer inspiring presentations by LifeQuest donor families and grateful recipients. We will include a candle lighting ceremony, and we encourage families watching the live stream from their homes to light candles and honor their loved ones.  We will share new videos not seen before, including the stories of donors Christopher Thomas, Channing O’Halloran and Brad Ray, as well as transplant recipient Raenie Johnson. Live presenters include transplant recipient Pastor Roderick Baptiste, as well as Tammy and Taes’sia Beaufort, the wife and daughter of donor Dontae Beaufort. This year’s event features a live performance by musician Doug Ray honoring his son, Brad Ray. They performed together professionally before Brad passed and became an organ donor. Doug has written a new song for Brad that will debut during Tribute to Life. Pastor Baptiste leads our opening reflection and delivers a special message of healing and hope during the candle lighting. The powerful final moments of Tribute to Life will be the 2024 Faces of Life video.
  • The Gathering. Following the program, in-person attendees gather together for a special time of sharing. We will offer refreshments during this time when donor families talk with some of the only people in the world who understand what they are feeling and experiencing. We are excited that we will meet in a different location for the Gathering this year — inside rather than outside. It will be downstairs and just a few steps from where the Tribute to Life program is held, and event volunteers will be there to guide the way.

There are really no words to share how much we look forward to this time together, whether in person or virtual. Check our social media sites for updates. It is a true privilege to honor donors who gave the Gift of Life. Please join us for this very special program.

Tribute to Life. 10-25-2024. We cannot wait.

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