FAQ
Following are some common questions we get from our Transplant Life Illinois members. If you have a question that you can't find the answer to below, please email us at info@goteamillinois.org. We will be happy to reply to you directly.
1
How do I join Transplant Life Illinois?
If you are a transplant athlete, living donor, donor family member or anyone else interested in our mission, we ask that you first sign-up online to “join our team” of organ and tissue donation advocates. This simply provides us with your contact information and allows you to “subscribe” to TLI emails and newsletters. You need only sign up once using one email address.
To sign up go to www.goteamillinois.org and click on the “Get Involved” tab at top, then “Join the Team.” Registration is ongoing and open.
Once you’ve signed up for Transplant Life Illinois, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with a password for the “Members Only” section, with information about TLI as well as about the Donate Life Transplant Games.
2
How do I sign up to participate on Team Illinois as part of the Donate Life Transplant Games?
If you’re interested in attending the Games, you can access that information via the “Members Only” portal. First, you will need to sign the “letter of intent” and pay a minor fee to participate on Team Illinois, the official state team of the Donate Life Transplant Games. This fee helps cover the costs of organizing and planning travel (if necessary), lodging, team events, uniforms, and trading pins for all participants.
Or you may print out the “letter of intent” and send check or credit card information to Colette Jordan,
4504 Dorset Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532.
As a reminder, you must sign the “letter of intent” no later than May 1, 2022, to participate fully as a member of Team Illinois at the Donate Life Transplant Games, July 29-August 3, 2022, in San Diego.
3
Why do we have to pay a membership fee to Team Illinois on top of a registration fee for the Games?
Transplant Life Illinois is made up of volunteers who spend a lot of time planning and organizing for the Games. We are held accountable to our corporate sponsors to use their money wisely and in accordance with their funding requirements. In the past we have had to make some decisions, like booking blocks of hotel rooms that have cost ramifications if people decide not to attend. This fee helps with upfront costs associated with your team membership and helps offset the cost of uniforms and trading pins.
4
Do I have to register separately for the Games?
Yes. The next step would be for you to register for the Games as an athlete (competitor) or as a support person, including family members (non-competitor).
Transplant recipients, living donors, and donor family members may compete for medals on Team Illinois. However, medals for donor family members do not count towards a team award.
Team members who wish to participate as athletes must be at least nine months post-transplant, have stable graft function, be medically fit, and have their doctor’s approval.
5
What if I can’t afford team or registration fees or travel expenses? Can TLI help me out?
Transplant Life Illinois will provide a minimum one-time stipend per team member and/or family unit. The minimum stipend will include:
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The cost of up to two TGA early-bird registration fees per family unit.
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A team uniform for each competitor and opening/closing t-shirts for non-competitors. (Selection may be limited if you register with Team Illinois and/or the games after May 1, 2022.)
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A $150 allowance (one per family unit) to be used for travel/lodging.
Transplant Life Illinois will host periodic fundraisers to benefit participants on Team Illinois. In addition, in hardship cases, team members may apply to the Board for a financial scholarship. But by and large, team members must pay their own way to the Games. Individual fundraising is strongly encouraged.
6
Whom do I contact if I need help with anything?
You will find lots of helpful people on Team Illinois. Feel free to call anyone on the Board of Directors and/or committees. The team manager/co-manager is always available to answer your questions about the Games, or you may contact any Board member with a specific question. You’ll always find us ready and willing to answer your questions!
You’ll also find the most up-to-date information on our website at www.goteamillinois.org or on the TGA website www.transplantgamesofamerica.org.