Coroner’s Office Honored with Life Changer Award

On Tuesday, the Gift of Hope Community Foundation hosted its inaugural Light It Up Purple for Hope celebration in Springfield, shining a spotlight on the profound impact of organ, eye, and tissue donation across Springfield and the wider downstate Illinois region. The event brought together donor families, community members, and healthcare professionals to acknowledge both the gift of life and the community champions whose dedication makes that gift possible.

At the ceremony, Jim Allmon and the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office were presented with the Life Changer Award for Outstanding Teams, recognizing their extraordinary partnership with Gift of Hope and their steadfast support for the families and communities served by the foundation. 

“This recognition truly belongs to our entire team and the families we serve,” said Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. “We see firsthand how the gift of donation transforms tragedy into purpose, and we’re grateful to be part of that process.”

The Gift of Hope Community Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, a federally designated nonprofit organization that has worked since 1986 to coordinate organ and tissue donations across the northern three-quarters of Illinois and northwest Indiana. Since its inception, the network has helped save more than 29,000 lives through organ donation and supported hundreds of thousands more through tissue donation, enabling individuals to see, walk, heal, and live more fully. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, the organization collaborates with more than 180 hospitals, transplant centers, and professional partners to coordinate donation efforts across a large service area.

By recognizing the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office, Gift of Hope underscored the critical role that medical examiners, coroners, and first responders play in facilitating organ and tissue donation. The award highlights the compassion, professionalism, and dedication required when working with families during some of life’s most difficult moments.

The introduction of the Light It Up Purple for Hope event marks a new public-facing effort by the foundation to raise awareness and foster community engagement around donation. In doing so, it positions Springfield and the downstate Illinois region as key participants in a broader life-saving movement.