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Fresh from the motivation from last Thursday’s pep rally that took place last Thursday in their school auditorium, more than 300 Furness High School students filed out of school buses before 10 a.m. Sunday near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
It more than quadrupled 2009’s 60 participants from the school at 1900 S. Third St. A big reason behind the large surge of Furness students involved in the 15th annual Dash for Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness was to commemorate Alvin Way, the first student to join the school’s Gift of Life Club. While running in last year’s event, Way collapsed at the finish line of the 5K. Despite being rushed to Hahnemann University Hospital, the 19-year-old senior, who planned to enlist in the Marine Corps. with brother Steven, passed away. His death was the result of heart failure, aggravated by the effects of a previously undetected irregular heartbeat.
Members of the team sported pins and necklaces in memory of both Way and David Nelson, Jr., an organ donor, who passed away in ’06 at the early age of 26. Patricia Nelson, David’s mother, credited student members of the club for taking a large part in organizing team participation. Furness Principal Timothy McKenna, as well as the Regional Superintendent Michael Silverman, demonstrated their support by attending the dash. Eight teachers also joined the students in running to commemorate Way.
“The message and the legacy I think he’s leaving behind is to all be compassionate and kind to each other,” Patricia Nelson, David’s mother, school operations officer, and group organizer said.
Even several Furness alumnae, who were former classmates of Way, traveled from their college campuses in order to be a part of something in which their friend strongly believed.
“He was a really compassionate person, always there to lend a hand,” Tazhe Cooper, 19, one of the club’s original members, said of Way.
“Alvin was wonderful — nice, tall, handsome, respectful. There aren’t enough words to explain him,” added fellow ’09 grad Anitra Harrison, who first met Alvin in the ninth grade.
Saturday, the local participants joined more than 6,000 Philadelphians — sporting bright T-shirts in every color imaginable — of all ages along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in support of a serious purpose: Organ and tissue donor awareness. The event, sponsored by the Gift of Life Donor Program, offered participants the option of taking part in a 5- or 10K run, or a 3K walk, down West River Drive and along the banks of the Schuylkill River.
But this day wasn’t about finishing first, second or third. On this day, spreading the word about donor awareness was priority No. 1.
Somewhat apart from the main group, gathered around a tent next to the Washington Monument in Eakins Oval, a team calling itself David’s Parrot Party prepared for the race. The team was founded by the family members of Nelson.
“My son was a Jimmy Buffett fan: That’s how we got our name, David’s Parrot Party. It’s part of a Parrot Head tradition.”
Looking to get students involved, she started the Gift of Life Club, a student group that works on promoting organ and tissue donor awareness. That year, 32 students joined the original members of David’s Parrot Party for the dash.
“In 2007, me and my family members came and had a small group — about 30 people — that attended and really had a great time,” Nelson, who also is a board member of the David Nelson, Jr. Memorial Fund, — which provides educational scholarships for children of organ and tissue donors — said. “We decided the next year to extend it.”
This year’s dash also commemorated Way, who remained a key coordinator during his two years in the Gift of Life Club. His sister, Traisha Way said she hopes others will learn from his example. Foremost, she hopes that people will educate themselves regarding the benefits of becoming an organ donor, rather than focusing on the myths that propagate around this issue.
According to Marie Way-Harris, Alvin’s grandmother, the message Way would want to leave behind is “that there’s still love to go around.”
“He always knew to help somebody if they needed it,” she added.
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