29-05-2025
Organ donation event celebrates tenth anniversary
One of Exmouth's most respected all-day charity-fundraising events is celebrating its tenth anniversary in July.
Event organiser, Steve Gazzard, says he wants to make this year's organ donation awareness fundraiser 'really special' and is hoping to boost the £35,000 that he's already raised for medical research during the past decade.
But to do so, he needs more local traders and charities to book a stall. He's asking for tombola prizes, and he's hopeful classic car owners may also offer their vehicles for display.
He's also committed to continuing his campaign for organ donor sign-up until the law on organ donation is 'crystal-clear'.
The National Organ Donor and Transplant Awareness Event is in The Strand, Exmouth on Saturday July 26, 10am-4pm. There is also a sign-up event in Exmouth this Saturday, May 31.
It's in memory of Exmouth mother Sarah Wright, who died of a rare lung condition in November 2012, aged just 37.
Ever since her death, her father, Steve Gazzard, has campaigned to raise awareness of the chronic lung condition Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) that Sarah died of and to encourage people to sign up to organ donation.
Sarah had been on a waiting list for a double-lung transplant that could have saved her life, but no suitable donor could be found.
Instead, Sarah donated her own organs on the night she died, saving the lives of three other people.
Now, nearly 13 years after his daughter's death and with the tenth anniversary of the charity event in her memory fast approaching, Mr Gazzard is pulling out all the stops.
'It's a big occasion, so we want to make it really special,' said Mr Gazzard. 'It's my intention for this to be a fun day, but also with a serious message.'
Mr Gazzard says he needs more stalls to be booked as currently he has plenty of availability.
'We're in May now, and it won't be long before the event is here, so we want to make it a good turnout.
'We're also looking for people who could donate prizes – we have a massive tombola stall – and for anyone that's got a classic car that could come down for the day. Classic cars are a real pull.'
Mr Gazzard says he's hopeful that the fire brigade and local police will attend, but it will depend on 'operational needs'.
Money raised from the event will go towards the Sarah Wright Research Programme, which is seeking a cure for IPF. 'Over the last 10 years we've collected nearly £35,000, which is amazing,' said Mr Gazzard.
'Unfortunately, the disease is transferring from the older generation to the younger generation, and no one knows why. That's why I set up this research programme to see if they can find out why.'
Another key purpose of the event is to raise the profile of the National Transplant Organ Donor Sign-Up Campaign. Although the law around organ donation changed in May 2020 – all adults in England are now considered as having agreed to donate their organs when they die unless they opt out – Mr Gazzard says some people are unaware of the changes. Some families have also been successful in overturning organ donation wishes.
'I thought 2020 would be the end of it,' he said, 'but unfortunately there are next of kin who are saying we didn't know about the change in the law and we didn't talk to our relatives about it. So, we've started the sign-ups again.
'We all do recycling at home. To me, organ donation is just another way of recycling. Sarah managed to donate her two kidneys and her liver and saved three people's lives, so she lives on in three other people. I won't give up the campaign of organ donor sign-up until the law is crystal-clear. But there's still a lot of work to do on that.'
Potential stall holders, classic car owners, and those with tombola prizes for the fundraiser on July 26 should email
Alternatively, please call Steve Gazzard on 07779 960199
