Manatee County Tax Collector unveils "Superheroes for Life" mural in honor of National Donate Life Month (Published 04-12-2019)
(Shown above: The Manatee County Tax Collector's Office
"Superheroes For Life" mural now on display at their Driver License
Office location, located at 904 301 Blvd. W., Bradenton, FL 34205)
Mural unveiling video
Bradenton, FL – In honor of National Donate Life Month, Hon. Ken Burton Jr., unveiled a "Superheroes for Life" mural at the Manatee County Tax Collector's Driver License Office, 904 301 Blvd. W., Bradenton, FL, on Friday, April 5th. Donate Life Month is an opportunity to celebrate the thousands of lives that have been saved and impacted by receiving the Gift of Life; honor all organ and tissue donors whose legacies live on in the lives of recipients; and call attention to the more than 113,000 patients still awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant.
"In 2018, our office registered more than 35,000 customers as lifesaving organ, tissue and eye donors during driver license transactions among our five office locations," said Tax Collector Ken Burton, Jr. "One individual's decision to designate themselves as an organ and/or tissue donor, represents an opportunity for them to unleash their inner 'superhero' by their potential ability to save 8 lives through organ donation and impact more than 70 others with the gifts of tissue. Currently there are more than 5,000 Floridians on the national organ transplant waiting list. This mural is dedicated to those both those who have and those who soon will register themselves as organ and tissue donor – a true superhero."
"The Manatee County Tax Collector's Office has been actively committed to promoting the Donate Life message to its employees and customers alike since 2012," said Betsy Edwards, Public Affairs Project Manager for LifeLink of Florida and current Donate Life Florida Chairperson. "Since then, this office has seen an annual countywide increase of approximately 11% in customers saying 'Yes!' to joining Florida's donor registry. These efforts have resulted in a 58% donor registration rate among driver license customers – far exceeding the Florida's statewide 49% donor registration rate for 2018. Thanks to the work of Honorable Burton and his entire staff, Manatee County has had among the highest donor registration rate increases statewide, as compared to fellow county tax collector offices."
This mural was created in partnership with LifeLink® of Florida, the local federally designated non-profit organ recovery organization that serves the communities of 15 counties in west and southwest Florida - including Manatee County. LifeLink of Florida is also a member program of Donate Life Florida, a statewide organization comprised by an alliance of Florida's organ, tissue and eye recovery programs that works to educate Floridians on their ability to be a "superhero" for others by joining the donor registry online at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org or during a driver license transaction at any Manatee County Tax Collector's Office location. Donate Life Florida also is responsible for administering the state's organ, tissue and eye donor registry.
For more information on LifeLink of Florida please visit www.LifeLinkFoundation.org or contact the Public Affairs Department at (800) 262-5775. Additional information about Donate Life Florida and/or Florida's donor registry is available at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org.
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The mission of the Manatee County Tax Collector's Office is to perform our duties with integrity and respect, focusing on innovation and serving with excellence.
Manatee County Tax Collector is a 2011 Governor's Sterling Award Recipient
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