Reno local Victor Salazar will run the bases at Donor Network West’s upcoming ‘Home Run for Life’ game

RENO, NV (April 28, 2022) — Victor Salazar’s health battles began at just 10 years old when he was diagnosed with keratoconus, an eye disease that affects the cornea and can result in vision blurring or loss. During his college years, Salazar’s vision worsened drastically. He also began experiencing unrelated health issues due to an under-developed kidney. Fortunately, he received two life-changing cornea transplants and a kidney transplant between 2014 and 2015.

Currently, 90,000 people in the U.S. are on the national transplant waitlist for a kidney.

Thanks to organ, eye and tissue donation, Salazar now thrives; he enjoys archery, exploring the outdoors in off-road vehicles and spending time with his husband and family. Salazar will run the bases at the Reno Aces’ Home Run for Life game, presented by Donor Network West, after the second inning, Friday, May 6, at Greater Nevada Field as they take on the Round Rock Express.

“I want people to know how many lives, like mine, can be affected by organ donation,” Salazar said. “After going through vision troubles and four and a half years of dialysis treatments, donation has really improved my life and given me a second chance.”

Donor Network West, northern Nevada, and northern California’s federally designated non-profit organ procurement organization are proud to support six Home Run for Life games throughout the 2022 season. With more than 600 Nevadans waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, the partnership brings critical awareness about organ donation to the community and its sports fans. This will be the second Home Run for Life game of the 2022 season.

“From regaining sight and kidney function like what transplantation gave to Salazar, the impact of eye, organ and tissue donation is truly remarkable,” Janice Whaley, president, and CEO of Donor Network West said. “Donor Network West is honored to partner with the Reno Aces in celebrating organ donors and recipients like Salazar who are now able to thrive and live their best lives.“

The 2022 season is the first time Donor Network West and Reno Aces have partnered to showcase the Home Run for Life program. Once a month, a brave individual in the northern Nevada community is honored by taking a ceremonial trip around the bases with each team lining the baselines. Individuals honored have received life-saving transplants or have lost a loved one who saved lives through organ donation.

“We had such an emotional moment last month in front of a cheering crowd at the ballpark when we honored the first Home Run for Life recipient of the season during our first homestand,” Eric Edelstein, President, Reno Aces and Greater Nevada Field, said. “Our partnership highlighting the incredible work of Donor Network West is just beginning.”

Anyone can register to be an organ donor. To learn more and to register as an organ donor, visit DonorNetworkWest.org.

— @MyDNWest —

Photo cutline: Donor Network West invites the community to celebrate local kidney and cornea recipient, Victor Salazar, at Reno Aces’ May 6 game.

About Donor Network West

Donor Network West saves and heals lives by facilitating organ and tissue recovery for transplantation and research. The organization was established in 1987 and is an official Donate Life organization accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). Federally designated to serve 45 counties in northern Nevada and northern California, Donor Network West has headquarters in northern Nevada and California and partners with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the state-authorized donor registries. For information, visit DonorNetworkWest.org and follow us on social media: @mydnwest.

ABOUT THE RENO ACES

Since 2009, the Reno Aces, Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been a fixture in the Northern Nevada community providing family-friendly entertainment and Minor League Baseball in downtown Reno at Greater Nevada Field. Over the past 14 years, over 4.5 million fans have passed through the turnstiles, and the Aces have contributed to thousands of different non-profit charities throughout the region. For more information about the team or tickets for the entire 2022 season, visit RenoAces.com or Text TIXX to 21003.