LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- U of L students are focused on winning something much more important instead of filling out the NCAA tournament brackets.
And in some cases, it's a matter or life and death. With the number one over all seed, most cardinal fans are picking Louisville to win and move forward on their brackets.
"I received a kidney transplant in July of 2007," says Tim Statts, Kidney transplant recipient.
But a room at the Student Activity Center on campus, students and volunteers focused on helping people win something much more important, a fight for their lives.
Statts says, "Having the transplant lets you live life the way everyone else lives life."
Statts received a life-saving kidney transplant several years ago and knows how important organ, bone marrow and blood donations can be.
He told WDRB News, "It's hard to even express in words how good it feels to even see people sign up for the organ donation or sign up to be a match and know that they have the opportunity to save a life."
And that's exactly what students did. Instead of filling basketball brackets, they filled out a form that might help them "be the one to save a life", because every year an estimated 6,000 people die waiting for a transplant.
"Our goal is one hundred donors total between the three organizations," says Ali Serrano, U of L sophomore.
The three organizations are Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, Be The Match and the Red Cross.
Serrano says, "So we felt like what better way to follow up winning the big east than to like help people win the fight for their life."
Meanwhile, Tim Statts has already faced one life-saving battle and now one of his close friends face a life-threatening battle. He says, "He found out in November that he has MDS."
Since then, Statts' friend has been spending time with his wife and children and praying for a match.
"Ultimately he needs to get a bone marrow transplant in order to, you know, to save his life," says Statts.
And until that happens, you will find Statts working with the organizations.
"We're going to continue to raise awareness until a match happens and probably beyond," says Statts.
This is just a one day event, but all three organizations will be in Lexington in April which is also national donate life month.
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