A Season of Impact: STA Hosts Donate Life Night Baseball Series Across Texas
This summer, Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) hit a homerun with its 2025 Donate Life Night Baseball Series. Held at four Texas Minor League ballparks, each baseball game brought together donor families, transplant recipients, and donation partners for nights of gratitude, heartfelt tribute, and lifesaving awareness about organ donation.
While STA has hosted Donate Life Night in El Paso for years, 2025 marked these activations expanded to Midland, Frisco, and Corpus Christi—a major milestone accomplished in building community and connections across the state of Texas.
“We were grateful for the opportunity to expand our Donate Life Nights into more of the communities we serve, creating meaningful spaces for donor families, recipients, and donation partners to honor the gift of life,” reflected Sara Metzger, Program Manager of Community Engagement & Foundation Relations. “Partnering with local minor league teams was the perfect way to connect more deeply while raising awareness about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.”
Four Communities, One Lifesaving Mission
At each event, donor families and recipients came together to honor those who gave the gift of life by sharing photos, writing personal messages to loved ones, and telling stories of remembrance. Baseball attendees were invited to sign the Donate Life flag—serving as a meaningful step forward in uniting communities through a shared mission of saving lives.
The ceremonial first pitch at every game offered a spotlight on the inspiring stories of donors and recipients alike:
Corpus Christi Hooks: Donor Mom Linda DeLeon took to Whataburger Field stadium in Corpus Christi to honor her son, Mark Trujilo. His legacy lives on through the five lives he saved and the countless others he healed through tissue donation. See photos from the event here!
Frisco RoughRiders: Kevin Lopez, a heart transplant recipient and former police officer, firefighter, and U.S. Military veteran proudly threw out the first pitch at Riders Field in Frisco. His story of resilience and continued service was an inspiration to all, showing the transformative power of organ donation. Take a look at the event gallery here!
El Paso Chihuahuas: In El Paso, the ceremonial first pitch became a powerful moment of connection between heart recipient Victor Romero and donor mom Silvia Villalpando, who honored her son, Arturo Cantu. Arturo’s gift gave Victor a second chance at life, and their shared presence on the field was a moving tribute to the bond between donor families and recipients. View pictures from the event here!
Midland RockHounds: The loved ones of donor hero Haylie Hicks delivered a moving first pitch in her honor at the game in Midland. Haylie’s legacy lives on through the four lives she saved, reminding everyone at Momentum Bank Ballpark the impact of saying “yes” to donation. Browse photos from the event right here!
Wrapping Up a Season of Impact
STA’s 2025 Donate Life Night Baseball Series has transformed into more than a season of sporting events—it is a tribute to lives saved, legacies honored, and futures made possible through donation. From El Paso to Corpus Christi, ceremonial first pitches and signed flags carried a message of hope that resonated far beyond the field: Donate Life. Save Lives. Honor Legacies.
To learn more about organ donation’s lifesaving impact and how you can make a difference, visit https://www.organ.org/how-donation-works.