The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has awarded the 2024 Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award to Leslie and Bill Carruth in recognition of their tireless advocacy in memory of their daughter, Alexander “Allie.”
The Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award, named after a longtime member of Team UNOS who passed away in 2021, is awarded annually to an unsung hero who has gone above and beyond” to promote organ donation and transplantation. This year’s honorees are donor parents, philanthropists and organ donation advocates who’ve made an impact in Meridian, Mississippi.
In March 2017, Leslie and Bill Carruth tragically lost their 6-year-old daughter, Alexandra (Allie) after an automobile accident. They made the selfless decision to donate her organs to save others when her care team advised she wouldn’t survive.
The Carruths (pictured front row) started the Allie Cat Run and Festival to honor Allie and raise awareness and funds ahead of National Donate Life month.
The event’s theme is daffodils, inspired by Allie’s role as a daffodil in a school play just before she
died. During the play, Allie added an unscripted line: “Have a daffodil day!”
Alexander “Allie” Carruth dressed as a daffodil for her school play in 2017.
The first Allie Cat Run and Festival was held on March 24, 2018, with all profits donated to the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA).
Over the past seven years, the Carruths have raised more than $500,000, with all proceeds supporting community programs.
Leslie and Bill Carruth have become trusted voices in their community, inspiring others to register as donors and directly encouraging several families in Meridian to choose donation in times of loss. They have also provided comfort to many during their moments of grief. Their impact is evident in the 7% growth of the donor registry in Meridian and nearby areas.
The Carruths have dedicated countless hours to planning the Allie Cat Run & Festival, speaking at public engagements, and working closely with MORA to promote the importance of organ donation. Their work ensures that more people understand the importance of donation, potentially saving countless lives and giving hope to those in need of transplants – all in honor of a little 6-year-old who wanted everyone to “Have a daffodil day!”
Watch their award acceptance
About UNOS
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a nonprofit organization focused on saving lives. UNOS’ portfolio encompasses organ donation and transplantation, as well as broader public health projects, through its work developing new technologies and initiatives, conducting data-driven research and analysis, providing expert consulting services, advocating for patients, and being a leader in bringing communities together to save lives. For more than 40 years, UNOS has helped build a national donation and transplantation system that serves as a model around the world.
UNOS has been headquartered in the Richmond area since its founding in 1984. UNOS is also home to the National Donor Memorial, which honors the life-giving impact of organ and tissue donation.
