Legacy Donor Services Foundation Honors 37 Donor Heroes at Donors are Superstars Recognition Ceremony

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — On May 16, Legacy Donor Services Foundation hosted its annual Donors are Superstars recognition ceremony at the beautiful Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, honoring the lives and legacies of 37 donor heroes whose selfless gifts continue to save and heal lives.

Inspired by Japanese traditions and symbolism, this year’s event brought donor families together for an evening of remembrance, reflection, and celebration. The tranquil gardens provided a meaningful setting as the powerful rhythms of Taiko drummers welcomed guests, creating an uplifting energy that resonated throughout the evening.

The ceremony opened with a heartfelt invocation from Mark Barber, a heart and tissue graft recipient, who shared his personal journey of receiving a life-saving heart transplant ten years ago when his son was just 12 years old. Mark reflected on the countless milestones, birthdays, and cherished moments he has experienced with his family thanks to the generosity of his donor hero. He also spoke about receiving tissue grafts that aided in his recovery and healing, allowing him to return to the active and healthy lifestyle he enjoys.

Guests were also moved by the touching story shared by Martha Moya de Castro, a donor mother who honored the memory of her daughter through a beautiful message of love, hope, and legacy. Martha reflected on her daughter’s passion for Japanese culture and how she often spent time at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, making the evening’s setting especially meaningful.

Throughout the evening, donor families participated in traditional Japanese-inspired remembrance activities. Guests wrote wishes and prayers for their loved ones on tanzaku slips, which were displayed on a Tanabata bamboo tree. In Japanese tradition, during the Tanabata Star Festival on July 7, the slips will be collected. Later, on August 15th, the tanzaku slips will be placed on the shoryobune for Obon, when the wishes are sent to the otherworld. 

The evening concluded with the release of a floating lantern, inscribed with all the donors’ names on the illuminated lake – in Donate Life colors, blue and green—a beautiful representation of hope in Japanese culture. As the lantern drifted across the water beneath the evening sky, and Taiko drummers played a melodious sound; families shared a moment of reflection and connection, honoring the donor heroes whose legacies continue to shine brightly.