ROCHESTER, N.Y. — According to Donate Life America, more than 100,000 people are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Even the largest football stadium in the United States is incapable of fitting the number of patients on the national transplant waiting list.

Rochester River Run/Walk 5k organizers hope they not only raise funds, but help give life, one step at a time — whether it's for a colleague, a friend or a family member. 

“These people wouldn't be here today if they hadn't received a transplant,” Rochester River Run co-chair Judy Gierlach said.

Some are doing it for themselves.

“I am going on an 11-year transplant liver recipient,” operating room nurse Laura Nashburn said. “I was two weeks away from death. I was in complete organ failure. I was on continuous kidney dialysis. Every part of me was shutting down. It was so challenging at the time. But I'm so grateful.”

Thousands of people each day await and recover from a life-saving organ transplant. 

“We believe that everybody can be a donor, not just an organ donor, but you can be a tissue, an eye donor as well,” Gierlach said. “And we want to be able to make sure people know that they can do this and they can be a donor hero.”

The Rochester River Run/ Walk 5k makes its transplant patient fund a reality by helping patients in need.

“I'm so happy that there is a community,” Nashburn said. “Everyone can come together here and share their stories. You can be a shoulder to cry on. It's an awesome experience to be here with everyone and share some kind of relation to organ transplant.”

Nearly 800 people are running for the same mission. For Laura Nashburn, this will be her 10th year participating, going from a patient to the medical team itself.

“I got to give back,” Nashburn said. “I got to do something in the health care field and I worked in the ICU. I'm back in the operating room. I was a surgical technologist for a little bit on the transplant team at Dtrong, and it's been an amazing journey. I'm so proud of the second chance that my donor gave me. And everything I have accomplished so far in these past 11 years.”

Organizers hope its event serves as a reminder how being an organ donor can save up to eight lives, and how every dollar contributed can too.

“We are celebrating the lives of those that are here, some of those people wouldn't be here today if it was not for transplantation,” Gierlach said. “Transplants saved their lives. And I think they need to be recognized for that and realize they've changed your life.”

The Rochester River Run typically takes place each April in observance of National Donate Life Month and features a scenic USA Track & Field-certified race course (#NY15140KL) along the Genesee River. Visit PassLifeOn.org to learn more and add your name to the organ donor registry.