Johns Creek Employee Advocates For Organ Transplant Awareness

JOHNS CREEK, GA -- A city of Johns Creek employee is using his experience as a liver transplant recipient to help others who are going through a similar situation.

Kirk Franz is one of the founders of the Swing Easy Hit Hard Foundation, which recently held its 2017 Charity Golf Scramble.

The event, which was held in April at Windermere Golf Club, raised more than $15,000 for the Georgia Transplant Foundation's Patient and Family Support Programs.

Franz is the Recreation and Parks director for the city of Johns Creek. In May 2010, Franz received a life-saving liver transplant after he was diagnosed with a rare liver disease and bile duct cancer. Due to the cancer diagnosed in his liver, he was on the organ wait list for less than a week.

“I had no idea how often people in the Atlanta area were receiving an organ transplant,” Franz previously said in a news release. “There are several each week. And most have to wait a lot longer than I did to receive their gift of life.”

After Franz recovered from his transplant, he felt he needed to find a way to give back to others who would require an organ transplant. In 2012, with the help of family and friends, he established an annual charity golf tournament and the Swing Easy Hit Hard Foundation.

“I love to golf and always enjoyed playing in charity golf tournaments," he added. "Now I had a great reason to organize a tournament of my own to support a worthy cause that is very close to me and my family."

Since 2012, the Swing Easy Hit Hard Foundation has raised more than $65,000 to support organ transplant recipients and donors. Its mission is to increase organ donation awareness and to provide support for patients and families affected by organ donation and transplantation.

To learn more about being an organ donor, visit www.DonateLifeGeorgia.org. You can also learn more about the Swing Easy Hit Hard Foundation by visiting its website.

Image via Kirk Franz