Get ready to Strut 2 Save Lives

A year ago, Danny Ernstes learned his kidney disease was progressing and that dialysis was imminent.

Ernstes, of Fairland, Ind., works as community action coordinator with the International United United Auto Workers. He was placed on the national transplant waiting list when doctors knew only a new kidney could save his life. A donor match was found and Ernstes received his lifesaving kidney transplant in March in Indianapolis.

“Receiving my lifesaving gift of a kidney means everything to me and my family,” he said. “I’m a husband, a father of grown children and a grandfather. I now have more time. I have life.”

Ernstes will share his story before hundreds of dog owners and their four-legged friends set off on a one-mile walk to raise awareness and support for the families of Hoosier organ donors Sunday, Sept. 8 at the eighth annual Strut 2 Save Lives.

The event returns to Noblesville’s Dr. James A. Dillon Park, located at 6001 Edenshall Lane, just off 146th Street, about a quarter mile east of Hazel Dell Road in Hamilton County. Check-in begins at 10 a.m. and costs $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 2 to 12.

Strut 2 Save Lives will welcome a host of area vendors this year, including Filipow Music, Hot Diggity Dogz, Nothing Bundt Cakes, First Friend K9 Training, Bier Brewery, GRRACE Rescue, Blackjack Animal Rescue, Fall Creek Lavender Farms, Summer’s Concoctions, and Kora’s Kitchen. Event sponsors are Nucor Rebar Fabrication, Solvita, and Leo’s Pet Care Veterinary Clinic.

Last year, 215 participated in the event, raising more than $30,000.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Indiana Donor Network Foundation Bryan Clauson Legacy Fund, which supports donor families before, during and after their loved one’s donation by providing financial assistance for transportation, accommodations, food, and other necessities throughout the donation process.

Strut 2 Save Lives honors the legacy of former Noblesville resident Bryan Clauson, an IndyCar and USAC driver who died in 2016 from injuries sustained in an on-track accident in Kansas. A registered organ and tissue donor, Clauson’s gifts of life saved five people and helped heal countless others.

Clauson’s parents, Diana and Tim Clauson, created Strut 2 Save Lives in 2017 to honor their late son and provide critical financial support for families of Hoosier organ donor heroes. Since the event’s inception, nearly $165,000 has been raised to support financial needs of the families of Indiana organ donors.

Despite age or medical history, anyone can sign up to be a donor at DonateLifeIndiana.org. Learn more about Indiana Donor Network.

Indiana Donor Network’s mission is to save and enhance the quality of life through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Its vision is to be a leader in organ and tissue recovery. Founded in 1987, the organization coordinates donation in 85 of the state’s 92 counties and serves transplant hospitals throughout the U.S.

About Indiana Donor Network
The decision to become an organ, tissue, and cornea donor is a decision to give the gift of life. Indiana Donor Network serves as the vital link between donors and patients waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, healing tissue, and corneas to restore sight. The organization is a federally designated organ recovery organization and accredited tissue bank serving 85 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Its team of nearly 400 dedicated professionals is committed to saving and healing lives through donation and transplantation, championing the cause through education and outreach and supporting donor families in their time of need. For more or to sign up as a donor, visit Indiana Donor Network online.

About Indiana Donor Network Foundation
As a subsidiary of Indiana Donor Network, Indiana Donor Network Foundation enhances the lives of those touched by donation through education, innovation, caring, and support. The Foundation raises funds through individual contributions, special events and sponsorships to support transplant recipients and the families of donor heroes. For more, visit Indiana Donor Network Foundation online.

Indiana Donor Network and the Indiana Donor Network Foundation are federally registered trademarks.

About Donate Life Indiana
Since 1998, Donate Life Indiana has been the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the Indiana donor registry. Its mission is to save lives by creating opportunities for all Indiana citizens to sign up on the organization’s official state registry while striving to raise awareness for organ, tissue and cornea donation and transplantation through public education. For more, visit Donate Life Indiana online.