By Audrena Spence, MSW
Audrena has served as the Executive Director for the Gift of Hope Community Foundation and member of the Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network executive team since 2022. She provides organizational leadership and operational management of philanthropy strategies, initiatives and projects for grants, fund development and partnerships that serve to increase contributions to the Community Foundation, the philanthropic and fundraising arm of Gift of Hope.
Closing out the last weekend of September with hearts full and feet ready, Gift of Hope Community Foundation kicked off its second annual 5K Run, Walk & Roll with hundreds of participants gathering in celebration of hope and healing.
From families running in honor of their loved ones’ gift of life to transplant recipients walking in honor of their donor hero, it was a true reflection of what can happen when compassion leads and communities come together.
The 5K also served as a stage to celebrate the achievements of those who brought awareness to the growing movement supporting organ, eye, and tissue donation. This year’s Passionate People Awards honored individuals and families whose work uplifts communities while advancing Gift of Hope’s mission of organ and tissue donation.
Awardees included;
- Barbara Creed, a lung transplant recipient and tireless volunteer
- Andrea and Brandon Elion, who have carried their son Ezra Hill Jr.’s legacy forward with courage and compassion
- Dr. Cyndi and Frank Grobmeier, whose work through the Maddog Strong Foundation has inspired countless others in honor of their daughter Maddie, a donor hero.
“Our 2025 Passionate People awardees embody what it means to transform tragedy into purpose,” said Audrena Spence, executive director of Gift of Hope Community Foundation.
The Foundation also presented the Jesse White Leadership Achievement Award to the Adlai E. Stevenson High School Students for Organ Donation Awareness (SODA) Chapter, in recognition of their exemplary commitment and efforts in peer-led education and advocacy promoting organ and tissue donation and donor registration, raising more than $15,000 for Gift of Hope Community Foundation.
To everyone who contributed, participated and volunteered, thank you. To our Team Hope staff, donor families, and ambassadors, we are incredibly grateful for your support. Your commitment fuels our work and your stories inspire our mission.
To learn more about the Gift of Hope Community Foundation or to support its initiatives, please visit giftofhope.org/give.
Special thanks to our Sponsors
Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance (NORA)
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois
National Kidney Foundation of Illinois
Tampa General Hospital Transplant Institute