(DENVER, CO) – Rich and Donna Albanese-DeMair, who help lead their family’s iconic Dairy Queen in Plainfield, proudly represented Team Liberty at the 2026 Transplant Games of America in Denver, Colorado. The event held special significance for the couple, whose transplant journeys are linked by a remarkable milestone: Donna donated a kidney to save her mother’s life in May 2002, and 20 years later, in May 2022, Rich received the lifesaving heart transplant that gave him a second chance at life.
The biennial Transplant Games brought together thousands of transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, and supporters from all 50 states for a week of athletic competition, camaraderie, and celebration. Participants competed in events including basketball, track and field, swimming, pickleball, bowling, cornhole, cycling, and trivia. This year’s Games also set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of living organ donors and transplant recipients, with 966 participants assembled in one place.
Rich and Donna represented Team Liberty, a program of the Sharing Network Foundation that includes participants from New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Donna earned a silver medal in doubles bowling, while Rich competed in cycling and helped Team Liberty capture a bronze medal in the trivia competition. Together, they also participated in the 5K event and joined fellow Team Liberty members in the Guinness World Record-setting gathering.
Their journey with organ donation spans more than two decades. Donna became a living kidney donor in 2002 when she donated one of her kidneys to save the life of her mother, Adele Albanese. Twenty years later, after living with advanced heart disease, Rich received the lifesaving heart transplant he desperately needed. Together, they have become passionate advocates for NJ Sharing Network, sharing their story to inspire others to register as donors and consider living donation.
“Walking into the Transplant Games surrounded by thousands of people whose lives have been touched by organ and tissue donation was incredibly emotional,” said Donna. “Being a living donor has always been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, and celebrating with Rich after everything we have been through made it even more special.”
For Rich, participating in the Games as a heart transplant recipient was an opportunity to honor the donor whose gift made his second chance possible.
“Every mile I rode on my bicycle and every moment I spent with Team Liberty reminded me that I wouldn’t be here without my donor and his family,” said Rich. “I hope our story encourages more people to register as organ and tissue donors and consider becoming living donors because those decisions truly save lives.”
Beyond their advocacy efforts for NJ Sharing Network’s lifesaving mission, Rich and Donna are well known in our local communities for helping lead the Albanese family’s Dairy Queen, one of the largest Dairy Queen restaurants in the country. The family has long supported community organizations and charitable causes throughout New Jersey.
Rich is especially recognized for his bicycle donation program, a labor of love that has now provided 5,476 refurbished bicycles to children and teens throughout New Jersey. Working with approximately 15 charitable organizations, he continues to expand the initiative as a way of honoring his heart donor’s legacy and giving back to others.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and NJ Sharing Network, more than 100,000 Americans — including nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents — are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Learn more or register as a donor at www.NJSharingNetwork.org.
PHOTOS: Rich and Donna Albanese-DeMair, who help lead their family’s Dairy Queen in Plainfield, represented Team Liberty at the 2026 Transplant Games of America in Denver. (Photo Credits: Courtesy of NJ Sharing Network)