Press Release Archives - 251-96 - Mickey Mantle Organ Foundation

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 5, 1996

Release #251-96

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958

MAYOR GIULIANI HOSTS RECEPTION AT GRACIE MANSION FOR MICKEY MANTLE ORGAN FOUNDATION

This evening at Gracie Mansion, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani hosted a reception in honor of the Mickey Mantle Organ Foundation. Also attending this reception were Mickey Mantle's son, Danny Mantle, and organ donor recipient, Harriet Gollin.

"Mickey will be remembered for many achievements and many, many tall tales of those glorious golden days as the heart of the Yankees," said Mayor Giuliani. "But late in life, Mickey felt he needed to do more, needed to be remembered for other achievements and other goals. After his life was saved by an anonymous liver donation, he created this foundation as a way of educating Americans about organ donation to ensure that others would have the same gift of life that he had received."

"There are more than 46,000 Americans waiting for organ transplants, and Mickey was convinced that if Americans learned more about organ donation, and became better educated about the benefits, that number could be reduced to zero. He was sure that Americans would step up to the plate as he did so many times, and display the courage and conviction to help with this very critical need."

The Mickey Mantle Foundation was created by Mickey Mantle, a Baseball Hall of Famer, after he received a liver from an anonymous donor. The Mickey Mantle Foundation addresses the lack of organs and tissues offered for donation in order for transplants to occur. Danny Mantle and the rest of the Mantle family work together, along with others associated with the foundation, in hope that the number of donors will increase.