NATIONAL WANNA HAVE A CATCH DAY
Share this article
Text Size
NATIONAL WANNA HAVE A CATCH DAY
On the second Saturday in May, we celebrate National Wanna Have A Catch Day as a day dedicated to the simple yet profound act of tossing a baseball back and forth. But this day is about more than just baseball. This day is about a living, breathing metaphor for the gift of organ donation, particularly living organ donation.
#WannaHaveACatchDay
The relationship between a living donor and a recipient is a deeply personal and life-changing one. Whether the individuals know each other or are strangers, the decision of donating an organ is not taken lightly. National Wanna Have A Catch Day allows us to bring awareness to everyone involved in a life changing process that saves lives.
Few moments in cinematic history capture the essence of connection, nostalgia, and second chances quite like the final scene of Field of Dreams. When Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, softly asks, “Hey, Dad, you wanna have a catch?” Living organ donation is just like the connection in the movie. It’s an unspoken bridge between past and present, between what was lost and what can be restored.
On any given day in the United States, over 100,000 individuals are on the transplant list waiting for a kidney (~90,000) or a liver (~10,000) from the deceased organ donor registry. In 2024, while 27,000+ kidney transplants and 11,000+ liver transplants were performed. With over 7,000 of those transplants being living organ donations, there is still a substantial need because every day 17 people diewhile waiting for this life-saving gift.
Wanna Have A Catch Day Triple Play
Having a catch isn’t just a nostalgic pastime. It's an easy, joyful way to get moving, stay active, and combat risk factors that attribute to requiring a transplant. Just like in catch, living organ donation isn’t about one person giving and the other taking—it’s about reciprocity, about restoring balance, about keeping the game going.
Demonstrates the joys of an active lifestyle to help prevent medical conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and a sedentary lifestyle which are leading causes of end-stage liver and kidney disease. Sadly, these underlying conditions oftentimes result in the need for an organ transplant.
There is no greater visual metaphor for living organ donation than having a catch. Each throw represents the gift of life, as one person offers a piece of themselves, just like a living donor gives a kidney or part of their liver to save another life. Each catch represents the recipient not just surviving, but thriving. When they throw that ball back, they are proving that life continues, stronger than ever. Every catch is a symbol of hope. Every throw is an act of trust.
Being a living donor is the #1 act of kindness in the world. According to kindness.org, the top overall act of kindness was donating an organ to a friend. In fact, one study done by the organization shows 16,000 participants rated 1,692 kind acts on their cost, benefit, and kindness. In addition, 4 out of the top 10 kindest acts involved organ donation. The study concluded that this amazing art of kindness allows the donor and recipient to share more moments, time, memories and of course, more games of catch.
First Annual National Wanna Have A Catch Day
To officially launch National Wanna Have A Catch Day, the Living Liver Foundation, Transplant Life Foundation, and Iowa Donor Network will host the inaugural Living Donor Awareness Softball Game at the legendary Field of Dreams movie site. The game will feature two teams from the Transplant Games of America, Team Iowa vs. Team Wisconsin, as they compete for the coveted Shoeless Joe trophy.
Attendees will be able to play catch with a loved one on the field before and after the game, meet “ghost” players dressed in vintage uniforms and relive the nostalgia of the Field of Dreams movie.
When: May 10, 2025
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Game time: 1:30 p.m.
(A pre-game ceremony will honor living donors and donor families.)
To be a part of the festivities in Dyersville, Iowa, you can buy a ticket at:
https://charity.pledgeit.org/wannahaveacatchday
Every year, on the second Saturday of May, this celebration will take place at the Field of Dreams movie site. The vision is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of Field of Dreams with a catch between Kevin Costner and Dwier Brown on May 12, 2029!
CELEBRATE NATIONAL WANNA HAVE A CATCH DAY
There are many ways to celebrate and become involved in National Wanna Have A Catch Day on the actual day and throughout the year. Whether you’re at the Field of Dreams movie site, in your backyard or hanging out at your favorite gathering place, we invite you to take part in National Wanna Have A Catch Day. Let’s make history, raise awareness for living organ donation, and celebrate the simple yet profound joy of having a catch.
Grab a ball, find a friend, family member, stranger, living donor, or recipient and have a catch!
Join in campaigns like National Living Donor Day or Living Donor Awareness Games at the MLB, MiLB and college baseball level to honor living donors and their recipients.
Educate others about living organ donation by talking to family, friends, and colleagues about the importance of living organ donation.
Lead an active lifestyle to prevent risk factors like obesity and type 2 diabetes and organize events such as health fairs, seminars, or informational booths to educate the public on how to prevent kidney and liver disease.
Advocate for those waiting for transplants and educate those about the importance of becoming a living donor.
Advocate for legislative changes in your state to protect living donors from insurance discrimination, reimbursement for travel, lodging and child care costs and ensuring living donors don’t lose wages while on leave.
Throughout the year, shoot a video or take photos of having a catch and include facts about living organ donation and share on your social media platforms with #WannaHaveACatch.
HISTORY BEHIND NATIONAL WANNA HAVE A CATCH DAY
In 2025, the National Day Calendar Registrar approved National Wanna Have A Catch Day on behalf of The Living Liver Foundation and Transplant Life Foundation. Through the shared love of baseball, National Wanna Have A Catch Day aims to raise awareness about living donation and its ability to save lives--bringing the transplant waiting list closer to zero.
The Living Liver Foundation and Transplant Life Foundation chose the Second Saturday in May to align with the release of the Field of Dreams movie on May 5, 1989. In addition, the day falls on the day before Mother's Day, which makes it the perfect time to recognize the special role of all mom's who foster a child's love of baseball.
About the Living Liver Foundation
The journey to founding the Living Liver Foundation began on November 25, 2019, when Dave Galbenski underwent a successful living donor liver transplant at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Thanks to the courage, compassion, and generosity of his brother-in-law, Mark Dybis, who stepped forward to become his living liver donor. From that moment, Dave made a commitment to use his time, talents, and energy to promote living donor awareness to pay this tremendous gift of life forward.
In 2020, Dave and Mark began to publicly tell their story to raise awareness of the impact of living organ donation. In 2022, Dave and his wife, Lynn, co-founded the Living Liver Foundation to honor, educate and inspire around living organ donation. A mission brought to life through National Living Donor Day and Living Donor Awareness Games at the MLB, MiLB and college baseball level.
In 2023 and 2024, Dave and Mark were key drivers of legislation in the state of Michigan that protects living organ donors from insurance discrimination and to provide a $10,000 state tax credit for living donors for lost wages, child care expenses and travel and lodging.
Join our have a catch movement in 2025 and beyond to help get the transplant list to zero.