NEWPORT-Cocke County Clerk Janice Cutler announces that more than 1 million Tennesseans have signed up as organ and tissue donors on the state-authorized Donate Life Tennessee Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.

This achievement comes primarily because Tennesseans can register as donors at the time they apply for or renew driver's licenses or state I.D. cards at the Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) licensing offices or at County Clerk's offices that provide license renewal service.

"This is very good news for the 2,098 people in Tennessee who need life-saving organ transplants and the thousands more who need tissue transplants to enhance their quality of life," said County Clerk Janice Butler.

"I am currently serving my second term as chairman of the Tennessee County Clerks Organ Donation Awareness Foundation. I am extremely proud that we were able to see the organ donor registry become reality during my tenure.

"I am now serving my third term as a member of the board of directors of the Foundation. The Organ Donor program has always been very important to me since I became County Clerk in 1994. Cocke County has consistently been the number one leader in the State in percentage of donations for over 12-13 years. That's almost unbelievable if we didn't have the proof. When I'm asked how we always remain the number one County I always give all the credit to the great citizens of Cocke County who believe in always helping others.

"Many citizens of this County have received life-saving and life enhancing transplants. Further credit goes to the great Deputy County Clerks who collect the donations. We do not keep any of the money we collect - we send it all to the Foundation who then at the Tennessee County Clerks Organ Donation Awareness Foundation's discretion uses the money to further organ donor awareness.

"I am so very proud of and grateful to my staff for supporting me and this truly worthy cause. The people of Cocke County are the best and we are held in awe over the State of TN because of the great support of the Organ Donor Awareness program."

The County Clerks are proud of our role in establishing the Registry. It is already increasing the number of registered donors and saving lives. 'Donate Life Tennessee' makes it easy for Tennesseans to join their 1,000,000 fellow citizens who have already decided give the gift of life."

The Tennessee County Clerks Organ Donation Awareness Foundation (TCCODAF) provided the funds for the development, implementation, and public launch of the "Donate Life Tennessee" Registry. The Foundation collects money to support statewide donation education through its program that gives Tennesseans the opportunity to "Donate a Dollar" for organ and tissue donation when they visit a County Clerk office.

"The one million mark is only our first victory," said Tom McRedmond, Executive Director of TCCODAF. "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal of signing up 100,000,000 registered donors nationwide by July 1, 2011, roughly 50% of all eligible adults. To do our part, we need over one million more Tennesseans to sign up to save lives." As of April 30th, the actual number of Tennesseans registrants is 1,046,892, which is 24% of the 4,387,883 Tennesseans with a driver's license or state I.D.

Tragically, one-third of the more than 99,000 Americans waiting for life-saving organ transplants could die due to the critical shortage of donors. But Tennesseans can make a positive impact on the statistic. Anyone who checks YES to being a donor when applying for or renewing a driver's license or I.D. card will be registered in the Donate Life Tennessee Registry. A small red heart appears in the upper right corner of the driver's photo to indicate official registration. A donor ha the potential to save eight lives as an organ donor, and improve up to 50 others as a tissue donor.

Registering when getting or renewing a driver's license is one of two ways people can join the Donate Life Tennessee Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. The Registry also has a website at www.tndonorregistry.org for those who prefer to sign up online.

The number of actual organ donors in Tennessee has held close to the same level over the past five years - 345 in 2003, 337 in 2004, 373 in 2005, 407 in 2006, and 369 in 2007. In that same time period, 621 Tennesseans died waiting for a transplant.

Donate Life Tennessee is a non-profit, state authorized organ and tissue donor registry, administered by the state's two organ procurement organizations (OPO), responsible for facilitating the donation process in Tennessee; Tennessee Donor Services and Mid South Transplant Foundation. The Donate Life Tennessee Registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized OPO personnel.

For complete information about the Donate Life Tennessee Registry, the process, and how donation saves and improves lives, visit www.tndonorregistry.org.