Give the Gift of Life Feb. 14 is National Donor Day
Join a Donor Dash. Donor Dash fundraising events pop up all over the country on National Donor Day. These noncompetitive 5K running and walking events are designed to bring donors and recipients together and keep hope alive for those who are currently waiting for a donation. To learn more, or to register for an event, check out DonorAlliance.org. Participate in #StartTheConversation. Donor Alliance, a nonprofit that works to promote organ donation, began the #StartTheConversation campaign as a way to help spread awareness about organ and tissue donation. Starting the conversation can be as simple as sharing that you registered with your friends and family or as personal as sharing a story about how organ donation has touched your life or the lives of your loved ones. Don’t let another Valentine’s Day come and go in a tide of cellophane, candy hearts, and cheesy cards. This year, get involved in National Donor Day. After all, what better way is there to express the value of love than giving the gift of life?
With all the cards, chocolates, and expensive dinners, it’s easy to get cynical about Valentine’s Day. However, National Donor Day also falls on Feb. 14, and it can refocus our attention back on the real meaning of the day: love.
In the U.S., 20 people die each day while waiting for an organ transplant. Losing loved ones is one of the most painful aspects of the human experience, and while it is unavoidable, organ donation offers a pathway to help prevent that loss and keep more love in the world. In the spirit of that love, here are a few ways you can get involved with National Donor Day this Feb. 14. Register as an organ donor.
Signing yourself up is easy and can be done either online or in person at your local Department of Motor Vehicles. You’ll need official identification to register. Registration is not permanent and you will always have the option to change your mind. Once registered, you will not need to carry your donor card with you, as your status exists in the registry.
ABBREVIATE THEDATE? Why You Need to Write Out '2020'
When you write out the date, many of us abbreviate the year to 2/14/20. Longer, it reads 02/14/2020. We get in the habit of writing the shorter version because it’s a little quicker and gets straight to the point. But you might be doing yourself a major disservice. Dates like this appear on all kinds of documents, from leases to checks. However, by abbreviating the date — especially starting this year, 2020 — you open yourself up to potential fraud. Abbreviating a number means someone could potentially write out the rest of the number. 2/14/20 could become 12/14/2021. The executive director for the National Association of Consumer Advocates, Ira Rheingold, explains why this is problematic: Let’s say you write a check and date it 2/2/20. The check was meant for a specific purpose, but it goes unused. If you went to use that check over six months later in the year, it should be declined because it’s out of date. However, someone could easily modify the check to read 2/2/2021 so the check could be used again. If the check is out of your hands, it can put you at risk for financial fraud.
Another example of potential fraud exists between creditors and
lenders. If you date a lending contract 2/14/20, but you miss a
payment during the course of the contract, an unsavory lender could change the date on the
contract. Rheingold gives the example of adding the number 19, making it 2/14/2019. Suddenly, the lender could claim you owe them for the entire year. Hopefully, you’d have the carbon copy of the document to refute their false accusations. If not, you’d be out of luck. The next time you date a document, be aware of how you write out the date. Thankfully, when you catch yourself, it’s an easy fix. Get in the habit of writing out the full date and year. It’s just one more simple way you can protect yourself from financial fraud.
2 • CampbellWealth.com
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