FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8 December 1998
NISSAN SUPPORTS MILLENNIUM TRANSPLANT GAMES
Nissan’s Sunderland car plant has donated its two millionth vehicle, an apple green Micra Si, to the Millennium Transplant Games which will be held throughout the north east in the Year 2000.
Over 1000 competitors, all transplant patients, including around 200 children under the age of 16 are expected to take part in the four-day event in July. It will include a comprehensive programme of track and field events, swimming, tennis, badminton, squash, table tennis, bowls, golf, canoeing, cycling, snooker and darts.
Ross Taylor CBE, chairman of the Millennium Transplant Games committee and who served 25 years as a consultant transplant surgeon at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary said: “The Millennium Transplant Games will be the best event held so far. When you see transplant patients competing in the games it shows to everybody how it is possible to return very ill people back to health.”
John Cushnaghan, Nissan’s deputy managing director and a transplant patient himself said: “I am delighted that Nissan is able to donate its two millionth vehicle produced at Sunderland to support the Millennium Transplant Games. It will be used to help raise funds for transplant charities which will benefit from the event.”
The games aim to promote health and well-being in transplant patients through sport. They also encourage transplantation and organ donation by demonstrating and publicising their benefits.
The Transplant Games were first held in Portsmouth in 1978. They were the brainchild of Maurice Slapak who was consultant kidney transplant surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth at that time. There were 99 competitors in these first Games and they were so successful that they have taken place every year since.
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