By City Times staff

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Central Wisconsin Gift of Life (CWGoL) dedicated its new legacy garden on Sept. 12, with a virtual run/walk and ceremony.

The garden will serve as a place to “bring awareness to organ and tissue donation through the memories and honoring of organ recipients, deceased donors and their families, living donors, and all others involved in the world of transplant.”

CWGoL is a group of organ and tissue recipients, living organ donors, organ and tissue donor families, and others who are passionate about the lifesaving gift of organ and tissue donation. The group works to promote organ and tissue awareness in central Wisconsin.

“In August of 2018 one of the original members of our group, Chris Stensberg, passed away,” said co-founder, Jill Dillon in an earlier interview. “Chris was the recipient of a double lung transplant. This gave him 12 more years of life, enough time to see his daughter get married and his grandchildren born. One of Chris’ greatest accomplishments was being an assistant coach of the Nekoosa Girls Basketball team. After his death, his players and fellow coaches wanted to honor him and celebrate his life through his favorite sport, basketball.

“On Nov. 15, 2018, which would have been Chris’ birthday, his team held a ‘Gift of Life Basketball’ game versus Port Edwards High School. Fundraisers and proceeds from that game were donated to our group. Memorials at Chris’ funeral also were designated for our group. Wanting to find a way to use these funds to create a lasting memory of Chris and an area for all to celebrate their own stories, the Gift of Life Legacy Garden was born.”

The garden is located at Wisconsin Rapids Legion Park on First Street North.

For more information, email cwgift[email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/ CentralWiGiftofLife.