Denver is set to host the 2026 Transplant Games of America, a celebration of life that will gather donors, recipients, those awaiting transplant and their supporters to bring awareness to the desperate need for organ transplants in the United States. It is the first time the games will be in Denver.
The Denver Transplant Games, set for June 17 to June 23, 2026, will include 20 athletic competitions for donors and recipients and an array of other events for all to participate in, according to a press release from the Transplant Life Foundation.
Denver was chosen to host by the Transplant Life Foundation in conjunction with the Denver TGA Host Committee.
“The rich landscape and scenic beauty of the area enhances an unparalleled group of venues suitable for our transplant families,” Bill Ryan, the president and CEO of the Transplant Life Foundation, stated in the release.
The games have been around since 1990 and are held every two years. The festival honors donors and recipients while educating attendees on the situation faced by those who need organ transplants.
“We’re celebrating life while educating and inspiring others to preserve it through a strong educational push raising awareness to the dangers of a growing American healthcare crisis: kidney disease resulting from America’s alarming rise in obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure,” said Mark McIntosh, chair of the Denver TGA Host Committee.
As a 2024 kidney recipient, McIntosh started a public awareness campaign called Drive for Five, dedicated to increasing organ donation numbers. McIntosh said he hopes to continue educating through the Transplant Games and to encourage people to share their spare kidney.
“People can share their spare, save a life, and live a priceless life,” McIntosh said.
Ryan said he hopes the games can raise awareness of disparities in healthcare.
“We have a mission to try and make more organs available for people in need,” Ryan said. “People of color traditionally don’t get organs. Some of it’s economic, some of it’s fear of government, some of it’s financial.”
In the United States, there are 115,000 people waiting for a life-saving transplant, with over 1,300 of those living in Colorado, according to the release. Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the waiting list. On average, 18 to 20 people on the list will die waiting every day.
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