Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci Honor National Donate Life Month in April 2026
Every April, Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci | Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers join thousands of individuals and organizations across the country in honoring National Donate Life Month. For this firm, the observance is deeply personal. Partner Scott Bucci is a living donor whose decision to donate a kidney to his wife transformed both of their lives. That experience has shaped how the firm engages with the Donate Life cause, not just during April, but throughout the year. In 2026, Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci continues that commitment by celebrating Blue & Green Day, sharing the Donate Life message with clients and the community, and encouraging Virginians to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors.
What Is National Donate Life Month?
National Donate Life Month (NDLM) is observed every April to raise awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation and to honor donors and the families who made lifesaving gifts possible. Established by Donate Life America (DLA) and its partnering organizations in 2003, NDLM has grown into a nationwide movement encouraging Americans to register their decision to donate and learn about living donation.
This year’s theme — “Leave a Legacy” — uses trees as a symbol of life and connection. Just as trees grow and support one another in a forest, donation connects donors, recipients, and their families across generations. A donor’s gift leaves a lasting legacy of hope.
The numbers behind National Donate Life Month make the urgency clear:
- More than 100,000 people are currently on the national organ transplant waiting list.
- 13 people die each day waiting for an organ that does not arrive in time.
- A single donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and enhance the lives of more than 75 others through eye and tissue donation.
- In 2025, more than 23,000 donors gave new life to recipients and their families.
- A new person is added to the transplant waiting list every 8 minutes.
- Despite 90% of American adults supporting organ donation, only about 60% are actually registered as donors.
In Virginia specifically, the need is significant. According to Donate Life Virginia, hundreds of Virginians receive organ transplants each year, but approximately two Virginians die every week waiting for an organ that never comes. More than 2,500 people in the Commonwealth are on the transplant waiting list, and the vast majority are waiting for a kidney.
How Does Donate Life Virginia Make an Impact?
Donate Life Virginia (DLVA) is the Commonwealth’s state-level partner in the national effort to save and heal lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Operating as the Virginia Transplant Council, DLVA manages the Virginia Donor Registry, the official database of Virginians who have documented their decision to be organ, eye, and tissue donors.
Here is how Donate Life Virginia makes an impact:
- Manages the Virginia Donor Registry, which launched in 2003 and records donor decisions made at the DMV or online at DonateLifeVirginia.org. When someone dies and is medically suitable for donation, medical professionals access the Registry to honor that person’s documented wishes.
- Partners with the Virginia DMV to register donors at the point of licensing, one of the most effective ways to grow the donor pool statewide.
- Funds public awareness programs through the Virginia Donor Registry and Public Awareness Fund, supported by voluntary contributions Virginians can make during DMV transactions.
- Supports donor families, recipients, and the transplant community, with board members representing eye banks, transplant centers, and organ procurement organizations across Virginia.
- Shares real stories of living donors and recipients through their Lifeline blog, helping people understand what donation looks like in real life.
At the national level, Donate Life America (DLA) leads the effort to educate, inspire, and activate the public around organ, eye, and tissue donation. DLA coordinates the National Donate Life Registry, organizes National Donate Life Month each April, and works with state teams like Donate Life Virginia to grow the national donor pool. Together, the national organization and Virginia’s state chapter form a connected network focused on one goal: ensuring that no one dies waiting for a lifesaving transplant.
Why Is Donate Life Month Important to Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci?
For Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci, National Donate Life Month is not an abstract observance; it is a cause rooted in a real story that unfolded within the firm itself.
Partner Scott Bucci is a living donor. When Scott’s wife Melissa became seriously ill early in their marriage, her condition progressively worsened over time, ultimately affecting her lungs and kidneys. She was frequently hospitalized, and her doctors eventually determined she would need a kidney transplant. Scott immediately volunteered to be tested as a potential match. Both Scott and his sister-in-law were found to be compatible donors. Because his sister-in-law was in medical school and would have had to take a year off to donate, Scott stepped forward without hesitation. In February 2010, he gave his wife the gift of a second chance at life.
Since the transplant, Scott and Melissa have built a full life together. They live in Midlothian with their two sets of twins and their family of bulldogs. Scott’s story is a direct example of what living donation can mean, not just medically, but for a family’s entire future.
After Scott’s donation, his colleagues at Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci rallied around the cause and began partnering with Donate Life Virginia. Today, the firm honors National Donate Life Month by:
- Celebrating National Donate Life Blue & Green Day on April 10, 2026 — wearing blue and green and sharing the Donate Life message in support of organ, eye, and tissue donation awareness.
- Displaying Donate Life Virginia signage in their Richmond office.
- Sharing Scott’s story and the importance of organ donation with clients through newsletters and communications.
- Promoting donor registration on social media throughout April and the rest of the year.
Scott’s act as a living donor gave his wife hope when she needed it most. That same hope drives the firm’s partnership with Donate Life Virginia year after year.
How Can I Get Involved With Donate Life?
If you are a Virginian who wants to make your own impact, there are several meaningful ways to get involved and support the Donate Life cause this April and beyond.
Register as a donor. The most direct step is to add your name to the Virginia Donor Registry. You can register online at DonateLifeVirginia.org or at your next Virginia DMV visit. Registering documents your decision to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor so that your wishes are honored, and your family is not left to make that decision alone.
Learn about living donation. Living donors, like Scott Bucci, donate while they are still alive. A living donor can give one kidney, one lung, or a portion of the liver, pancreas, or intestine. Living donation can significantly reduce a recipient’s time on the waiting list and often leads to better long-term outcomes. Visit DonateLife.net to learn more.
Participate in National Donate Life Month events, including:
- Donate Life Living Donor Day — April 1, 2026
- Blue & Green Spirit Week — April 4–11, 2026
- National Donate Life Blue & Green Day — April 10, 2026 (wear blue and green and share the message)
- National Pediatric Transplant Week — April 19–25, 2026
Talk to your family. Registering is important, but so is making sure your family knows your wishes. Share your decision with the people closest to you so they can support and honor your choice.
Support Donate Life Virginia financially. When completing transactions through the Virginia DMV, you can contribute $2 or more to the Virginia Donor Registry and Public Awareness Fund. Those contributions directly support the programs and registry that save lives in the Commonwealth.
Spread the word. Share the Donate Life message on social media using hashtags #DonateLifeMonth, #LeaveALegacy, and #DonateLife throughout April. You never know whose decision you might influence.
Every person who registers as an organ, eye, and tissue donor adds hope to the more than 100,000 people waiting for a lifesaving transplant. In Virginia and across the country, donations save lives, and one decision can change everything for a family waiting for their second chance.
To register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor in Virginia, visit DonateLifeVirginia.org.
