Rhode Island Organ Donor Awareness Coalition

General Meeting
September 27, 2011
5:30 PM

Attending:  Steve Bruno, Keith Bloomer, Dawn Porreca Antaya, Lisa Pappas, Jean Barry, Harry Bilodeau, Greg Deroches, Bob Jackson, Allison Lindgren, Mike Mooty, Kerri Cicione, Cynthia Tanzi, Michelle Raposa, Eugene Raposa, Elaine Raposa


Old Business:

  1. By-Law Discussion:
    1. Discussion of the by-laws and their requirements for the Board of Directors.
    2. Discussion of the ability to set up committees as the Board of Directors sees fit.  Discussed having a Volunteer Committee, Activity/Event Committee, and an Education Committee.  Start with the volunteer committee to have enough people to staff other committees.

2.                   Gala Discussion:

    1. Over 1,400 invitations were sent.  These included a sheet asking for volunteers.   It has resulted in about 15 people calling to ask about volunteering.  Steve Bruno will email the slip “seeking volunteers” to all so that they can be handed out at events in the future.
    2. Souvenir Glasses will be ordered.  Discussion included deciding what design should be used on the glasses.  Nationally, the Donate Life emblem is recommended.  Members like the green ribbon in addition to the Donate Life emblem.  Also discussed including www.riodac.org on the glasses.  No reference to the gala should be included so the cups can be used at future events.
    3. Auction Items/Gifts should be gathered.  Steve Bruno brought paperwork to request and document donations from businesses or individuals.  We are seeking donated items valued at around $10 for the mystery table and higher values for the silent auction.
    4. Volunteers are needed for the event.  These include

                                 i.            Guest Check in and Out – Lisa Papas

      1. Guest Greeter – Still need a volunteer
      2. Watching the Supply Hut – Kerri Cicione
      3. Centerpiece Designer – Dawn Antaya
      4. Candy Table Staff – Allison Lindgren & Cynthia Tanzi
      5. Auction table monitors – All Hands
      6. Photographers – All Hands – Bring cord to download during event.
    1. There was some discussion about having an award for a member during each Gala event.  This was done in the past but was too difficult to continue with in the recent past.  Might be worth resurrecting in the future

3.                   Events:

a.       RIODAC Gala – November 12, 2011, 6 pm

    1. URI Memorial Union Hall – November 16, 2011, 11:30 am - 1 pm :  Keith Bloomer will coordinate with URI.  Could use another volunteer for this event.
    2. There is an event at Brown University on September 4, 2011 that we will attend.
    3. RIODAC training with NEEOB on October 27, 2011 at Kent Hospital.
    4. Potential College Events:
      1. URI, RIC, and PC have steady events with us.
      2. Dawn Antaya is coordinating with RIC an
      3. Keith Bloomer and Dawn Antaya are coordinating with URI for more events.
      4. Keith Bloomer will be contacting Salve Regina for potential events.
      5. Once we have more volunteers, we can try to get into colleges through their mandatory freshmen year classes like URI 101.  Most colleges have a class everyone has to take that helps them with study and life skills to help them get through college.  Would be a great opportunity to get exposure to all the students at a school quckly.

4.                   Donate Life National Education Program for use at Colleges:

a.       NEOB can provide a nurse or someone from the clinical side of things for college events.

    1. We can team up with the Blood Center, Marrow Drives, Nursing Groups, Pharmacy Groups, or even get the NEOB art exhibit to loan to a school.  The web site for the art exhibit is http://www.neob.org/artexhibit.htm

5.                   Logo Contest:

    1. Keith Bloomer is coordinating with the RI Blood Center to get information about holding a logo contest.
    2. Jenn Cray mentioned that nationally, it is desired that all states use the Donate Life logo.
    3. An alternative would be to use the Donate Life logo on the front of a shirt and have a RIODAC logo for the back.

6.                   Spanish Speaking Volunteers:

    1. A Spanish speaking person left a message that they would like to volunteer based on the mailing that went out.  The volunteer committee will contact them for verification and coordination.

 





New Business:

7.                   A new Board of Directors was nominated and elected.  The following members were elected to the Board of Directors:  

    1. One Year Term:  Allison Lindgren
    2. Two Year Term:  Keith Bloomer, Jen Cray, Kerri Cicione, Michael Mooty,


        Lisa Pappas, Jean Barry, Steve Bruno

    1. Three Year Term:  Dawn Porreca Antaya, Harry Bilodeau, Greg Deroches, Bob Jackson, Eugene Raposa, Dr. Staci Fischer
    1. The following Officers were nominated and elected:
      1. President:  Dawn Antaya
      2. Vice President:  Allison Lindgren
      3. Secretary:  Keith Bloomer

 

  1. Advisory Committee:  It is recommended that an advisory committee be formed with volunteers from groups/foundations indirectly involved with organ donation and transplant.  These include the RI Blood Center, Lung Association, Kidney Foundation, Liver Foundation, and Heart Association.  These advisory committee members would be invited to meetings but their main purpose would be to lend their name and expertise to our group.  We would occasionally ask them for advice on issues they may have experience with from their organizations.
  1. The next meeting date must be set but should be before the Gala.


    Action Items:
  1. Volunteer Committee to call volunteers and invite them to the RIODAC training session at Kent Hospital on October 27, 2011.
  2. Continue gala planning and execution.
  3. Continue college coordination.
  4. Continue logo rule gathering.
  5. Consider forming advisory Committee before gala.