2nd Annual Cream City 5K

The 2nd Annual Cream City 5K takes place Saturday, April 29 at Greenfield Park in West Allis, raising awareness for organ donation during National Donate Life Month. In 2016, more than 500 runners and walkers took part in the event.

Jesse Pagels is a double lung transplant recipient and Cream City 5K founder. He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2003. Chemotherapy, radiation and a bone marrow transplant cured his cancer. However, the treatment caused his lungs to slowly shut down. In 2013, Jesse underwent a double lung transplant that saved his life. He went on to found Cream City 5K, a nonprofit that raises awareness for organ donation.

BloodCenter of Wisconsin is home to the Wisconsin Donor Network and is dedicated to saving and extending the lives of patients while caring for donor families. In 2016, BloodCenter facilitated 288 life-saving organ transplants and nearly 25,000 patients received tissue as a result of donor gifts.

• Approximately 2,400 Wisconsinites and 119,000 Americans are awaiting organ transplants.
• Every 10 minutes, a new person is added to the national organ donor waiting list.
• Twenty-two people die each day while waiting for an organ transplant.
• The shortage of organs persists, despite the fact that the public supports organ and tissue donation. That’s because too few members of the public have actually signed a donor card or discussed the issue with their families.
• All proceeds benefit BloodCenter’s Wisconsin Donor Network.

Event details

Cream City 5K

Saturday, April 29 - 9 a.m.

Greenfield Park, West Allis

Register at creamcity5k.org.