Yesterday, Sunday, Aug. 10, walkers and runners gathered at the Porthouse Theatre on the grounds of Blossom Music Center for the 2025 Lifebanc Gift of Life Walk & Run—a celebration of lives healed and saved through organ, eye, and tissue donation hosted by Lifebanc, Northeast Ohio’s non-profit organ, eye, and tissue recovery organization.

Participants in the 2025 Lifebanc Gift of Life one-mile fun walkThis year marked the event’s debut at the new location, offering expanded green space while preserving Gift of Life event elements like the Legacy Garden, T-shirt Row, the First-Timer’s Tent, and the Kids Zone.

Cleveland Cavaliers in-arena host Ahmaad Crump kicked off the live show at 9 a.m. as emcee, energizing the crowd before the start of the one-mile Family Fun Walk and 5K Race.

Cheers erupted as participants took to the course winding through the Blossom grounds. By 10 a.m., finish-line celebrations were in full swing as race results were announced, followed by the Legacy Garden Program—tribute featuring a butterfly release, photographs of donors and recipients, and quiet moments of reflection that brought tears, smiles, and heartfelt embraces.

Guests at the 2025 Lifebanc Gift of Life event are encouraged to “Every step we take today is in honor of someone’s story — a life saved, a loved one remembered, or a family still waiting for their call,” said Lifebanc CEO Katie Payne, who took over the CEO post in December. “The Gift of Life Walk & Run is about connection, community, and carrying forward the incredible legacy of donation. Seeing so many people come together in this new, beautiful space reminds us that hope is alive and growing.”

Keira and Kristy ChristieThe Gift of Life Walk & Run is more than a fitness event—it’s a gathering of hope and remembrance that raises awareness about the power of organ, eye, and tissue donation while celebrating the lives saved through transplantation. Proceeds support Lifebanc’s mission to provide community education, donor family care, and advocacy for organ donation registration.

Kristy Christie, whose Team Kini Bini has raised more than $150,000 for Lifebanc since 2018, says they have about three more weeks of fundraising this year but they have already raised about $4,500. Lifebanc has raised more than $202,000 toward its $275,000 goal so far this year. The last day to contribute is Friday, Sept. 5 at 11:59 p.m.

Christie formed Team Kini Bini with a group of friends and family in 2018, after her 11-year old daughter, Keira, died from an asthma attack. Keira’s liver and both kidneys were donated to three recipients, and her corneas and heart went to research. Christie and Keira’s liver recipient, Jossalyn, have become close friends.