National Wanna Have A Catch Day: A Celebration of Connection, Baseball, and Living Organ Donation
Dyersville, IA – On the second Saturday of May, the nation will come together to celebrate National Wanna Have A Catch Day, a day dedicated to the timeless tradition of playing catch and the powerful metaphor it represents: the gift of life through living organ donation.
The inaugural National Wanna Have A Catch Day will take place on May 10, 2025, at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, bringing together communities, baseball enthusiasts, and transplant advocates to highlight the importance of living organ donation. The event is hosted by the Living Liver Foundation, Transplant Life Foundation, and Iowa Donor Network.
The Meaning Behind National Wanna Have A Catch Day
Few cinematic moments capture the essence of connection, nostalgia, and second chances like the final scene in Field of Dreams when Ray Kinsella softly asks, "Hey, Dad, you wanna have a catch?" This simple yet profound question mirrors the gift of living organ donation—an act of selflessness that bridges past and present, loss and restoration.
Each day, more than 100,000 individuals in the U.S. await a life-saving organ transplant, with kidney (90,000) and liver (10,000) transplants being the most needed. While over 7,000 living organ transplants were performed in 2024, the need remains critical, as 17 people die every day waiting for a transplant.
The Inaugural Event at the Field of Dreams
To officially launch National Wanna Have A Catch Day, the Living Donor Awareness Softball Game will feature two teams from the Transplant Games of America, Team Iowa vs. Team Wisconsin, competing for the coveted Shoeless Joe Trophy.
Event Details:
📅 Date: May 10, 2025
⏰ Time: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
⚾ Game Time: 1:30 p.m. (Pre-game ceremony honoring living donors and donor families)
📍 Location: Field of Dreams Movie Site, Dyersville, Iowa
🎟️ Tickets: https://charity.pledgeit.org/wannahaveacatchday
Attendees will have the unique opportunity to play catch on the legendary field, meet "ghost" players dressed in vintage uniforms, and relive the nostalgia of Field of Dreams.
The Wanna Have A Catch Day Triple Play: Awareness, Prevention, and Action
National Wanna Have A Catch Day promotes three key aspects:
- Encouraging an active lifestyle to help prevent conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure—leading causes of end-stage liver and kidney disease.
- Highlighting the importance of living organ donation, with each toss of a baseball symbolizing the act of giving and receiving the gift of life.
- Advocating for legislative support to protect living donors, ensuring they receive necessary financial and legal protections.
How to Celebrate National Wanna Have A Catch Day
- Play catch with a loved one and share photos/videos on social media using #WannaHaveACatch.
- Participate in Living Donor Awareness Games at the MLB, MiLB, and college baseball levels.
- Educate others about living organ donation and advocate for policies supporting living donors.
- Stay active to reduce risk factors that may lead to the need for organ transplantation.
Looking Ahead: A Historic Milestone
Each year, National Wanna Have A Catch Day will be celebrated on the second Saturday of May. In 2029, to mark the 40th anniversary of Field of Dreams, organizers hope to bring together Kevin Costner and Dwier Brown for a commemorative catch at the movie site.
About the Living Liver Foundation
Founded by Dave Galbenski and Lynn Galbenski after Dave's life-saving living donor liver transplant in 2019, the Living Liver Foundation is dedicated to honoring, educating, and inspiring others about the power of living organ donation. Through events such as National Living Donor Day and Living Donor Awareness Games, the foundation works to increase awareness and provide support to donors and recipients nationwide.
Join us in making history. Grab a glove, find a partner, and have a catch! Together, we can celebrate life, raise awareness, and move one step closer to getting the transplant waiting list to zero.
About National Day Calendar
National Day Calendar is the authoritative source for fun, unusual, and unique National Days. Dedicated to celebrating the "National Day" phenomenon, National Day Calendar curates and promotes special days, weeks, and months to honor various events, people, and causes.
Media Contact:
National Day Calendar
Marlo Anderson: marlo@nationaldaycalendar.com
Phone: 701-204-6674
Address: 712 W Main St., Mandan, ND 58554
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