RIVER VALE—Thousands of walkers, runners and volunteers participated in NJ Sharing Network’s 5K Celebration of Life Walk and USATF-certified race at the organization’s headquarters in New Providence on Sept. 12.
The event, presented by Hackensack Meridian Health and Pfizer and supported by dozens of other generous sponsors, honored those who gave the gift of organ and tissue, paid tribute to those who have received a transplant, offered hope to those currently waiting for a transplant, and remembered the lives lost while waiting for the gift of life.
Family and friends of River Vale’s late John “Johnny” Fitzgerald Cuffe, 53, gathered as Team Johnny to honor his memory and show their support for NJ Sharing Network’s life-saving mission.
Johnny, who passed away in 2017, was an organ and tissue donor who saved and enhanced the lives of others. His wife, Donna Marie Cuffe, offered the following message during the 5K Celebration of Life:
My husband, John Cuffe, was known to everyone as Johnny. Johnny was loved by everyone. His smile and infectious laugh would brighten a room. When he decided to become an organ donor, it came as no surprise to those who knew him best. That’s the type of person he was: kind, compassionate, and hard worker; but most of all, generous.
Johnny would do anything for anyone, whatever was asked of him. He never gave it a second thought and didn’t want any acknowledgement.
Johnny died suddenly on Dec. 16, 2017 at 53 from cardiac arrest at home with me. When NJ Sharing Network contacted me within hours of his death, I thought, Leave it to Johnny to give an everlasting gift to someone around the holidays.
It wasn’t until after Johnny’s death that I truly realized the importance of organ donation. I have since become an organ donor, and have become involved with the NJ Sharing Network. It has been a wonderfully rewarding experience filled with heartfelt emotions.
Although Johnny’s death has left us with a hole in our hearts, it brings us comfort knowing his decision has saved and improved multiple lives. His memory will live on forever.
The funeral mass celebrating Cuffe’s life and faith was held at St. John the Baptist R.C. Church, Hillsdale. He is interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, donations were invited to the American Heart Association, which notes heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America.
About NJ Sharing Network
NJ Sharing Network is the non-profit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for those in need of a life-saving transplant. Nearly 4,000 New Jerseyans are awaiting transplantation. It is part of the national recovery system in place for the 110,000 people on the national waiting list.
Operating 24/7/365 with a team of more than 180 highly trained and dedicated members on staff, it delivers life-saving transplants and life-enhancing tissue to those in need. To complete its important work, it offers four core services:
- Managing all aspects of organ and tissue donation;
- Supporting donor families;
- Histocompatibility testing for deceased and living organ donors and recipients in our fully accredited state-of-the-art transplant laboratory; and
- Educating communities and healthcare and medical professionals about their role in the life-saving process of donation.
The organization says the first 5K Celebration of Life was held in 2011 at its headquarters in New Providence. “At the time, we could not have imagined the incredible impact this special gathering would have on the donation community.”
It touts more than 80,000 participants, more than 1,000 teams, and 20,000 volunteer hours driving more than $9 million in donations.
For more information visit NJSharingNetwork.org.