BMV Appreciation Week Held
The first ever BMV Appreciation Week was held September 19 – 23, 2016. This week, supported by Donate Life America, was set aside for recovery partners and state teams across the nation to show their support and gratitude for the employees, managers and administrators who work at BMV’s, DMV’s and/or Public Safety offices.
To show its support and sincere appreciation for the BMV and their integral role in the donation process, Donate Life Ohio celebrated the week by visiting agencies, recognizing the partnership on social media (#Thx4Saving) and announcing each BMV employee in the state would receive a free Donate Life Ohio t-shirt.
More than 5.4 million Ohioans have registered their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. More than 99 percent of those registered individuals did so at their local Deputy Registrar agency.
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles is often the place where people are first asked if they want to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. BMV agency employees are an integral part of the donation process. Simply by asking those who are receiving or renewing their driver’s license or state identification card if they want to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, the BMV employees on the front lines are providing hope to the thousands of men, women, and children waiting for a life-saving transplant.
The BMV involvement in the donation process does not stop at the agency counter. They are also responsible for maintaining the Ohio Donor Registry, which is a secure database that contains the names of all registered donors in Ohio. After a death has occurred, the local organ procurement organization can access the registry to determine if an individual has made a donation decision. Additionally, the BMV issues Donate Life license plates and collects monetary donations for the Second Chance Trust Fund. These voluntary contributions are then used to provide donation education in the state.