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Futons are stylish, functional furniture, with true comfort for a great night‘s sleep. Futon. The better sofaâ€"sleeper. Ain‘t nuthin‘ dragon ‘em down‘ Dragon boat team promotes organ donation while celebrating life ile most of the 45 teams taking part in the third annual Waterloo Region Dragon a890i.AT 10M By Bos VRBANAC Chronicle Staff wNA DiE NNE www .futonsathome.com Boat Festival at Laurel Creek Conservation Area on the weekend were celebrating the joy of competition, one team was celebrating the joy of life. Team Transplant founder Donna Fleming and local paddler Kathleen Reed drove home their message about the benefits of organ donation at the third annual Waterloo Region Dragon Boat Festival at Laurel Creek Conservation Area last Saturday. Now in its fourth season, Team Transplant returned to the still waters of the reserâ€" voir to shake up the notion that transplant recipients can‘t return to a normal life. Made up of transplant recipâ€" ients and their donors, the 22â€"person team used every paddle stroke to drive home the point that they are living proof organ donation works. It‘s reflected in the team‘s motto â€" _ "Ain‘t nuthin‘ dragon us down." "We don‘t take anything for granted now because we know what it‘s like to be sick," said Donna Fleming, one of the original organizâ€" ers of the team, who just marked her 27th year of livâ€" ing with a donated kidney. "There‘s no guarantees that come with the organ, but it just makes you realize how important life is and how special it is. It feels darn good to feel well again and to be active." They also taught a person or two cheering them on about giving someone else a second chance at life. At any one time more than 1,400 people across Ontario are waiting for a kidney transâ€" plant, with many more waitâ€" ing for harvested hearts, lungs or even corneas. "We do this so the generâ€" al public can see that transâ€" plantation does work and that it is a good thing," said Fleming. It was a struggle to fill the boat the first couple of years that Team Transplant raced. But as the crisis in organ availability started getting more attention, it got easier to attract more people to the team to help spread the message. The message is being heard in Ontario these days with a new provincial govâ€" ernment push to increase the organ donation rates. The province is going as far as to start a formal request procedure for families and friends of those near death. "It should be a more natâ€" ural thing." Fleming said. "People should almost autoâ€" matically think of something like this when the tragedy hits their family." Fleming â€" thinks organ donation will also help famiâ€" lies out in the grieving process "Part of their laved one is still on the face of the earth and doing well for another person." she said. "They‘re giving â€" them a â€" second chance at life because of that." Another â€" message that members of Team Transplant wanted to share is that people on transplant waiting _ lists _ could _ be friends. family members or next door neighbours One of the local particiâ€" pants was Kathleen Reed from Kitchener who got a lifeâ€"saving bone marrow donation from her sister Heather Elliot five years ago. She heard about the team while _ at _ the â€" Princess Margaret Hospital _ in Toronto for a checkup and thought Team Transplant would be a great way to share a common experience with people who knew what she went through. "My main goal was to be involved with people who have been through someâ€" thing similar to me," said Reed. "The majority of peoâ€" ple haven‘t had that second chance at life that we‘ve all had." Reed also said it was a great way to make a differâ€" ence with the second chance she got, especially being able to bring this message so close to home "It‘s nice to be in my hometown and do this," she said. "To be a part of a team and to work and show that we can do something and be good at it is important. "I just want people to know that organ donation does work." But for organ donation to really work the number af available organs has to come up. Too many are being lost because donors aren‘t shar ing â€" their â€" transplantation wishes with their families "It‘s really important that not just people are aware of it, but they make their fami ly aware of it," said Reed "You can sign your licence and say you‘ll donate But if your family doesn‘t know, they can override that." In the end, the team is all about second chances. Reed is doing the most with hers at life they wouldn‘t have without the donation," she said "People don‘t know how many of us there are out there, and having a chance ‘I‘ve got lots of years ahead nf me and lots T can contribute to society" For â€" moreâ€" information about organ and â€" tissue donation in the province contact Organ Donation Ontario at 1â€"800â€"263 2833 or visit the website at organdonationontario org