(PLAINFIELD, NJ) – Donna and Rich Albanese-DeMair, who help lead their family’s iconic Dairy Queen in Plainfield, recently opened their doors to host a special celebration for Team Liberty, a program of the Sharing Network Foundation that brings together organ and tissue transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, and supporters from New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. The celebration recognized Team Liberty’s accomplishments at the 2026 Transplant Games of America and the shared connection its members have to organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
Donna and Rich share a personal connection to NJ Sharing Network’s lifesaving mission of saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Donna is a living kidney donor who donated one of her kidneys to save her mother’s life in 2002. Twenty years later, Rich received a lifesaving heart transplant in May 2022. Together, they have become passionate advocates and longtime supporters of NJ Sharing Network.
“Hosting Team Liberty at our Dairy Queen was such a special experience for us,” said Donna. “They represent the strength, determination, and gratitude that come from being given a second chance at life or having the opportunity to give that gift to someone else.”
This past summer, Team Liberty competed at the 2026 Transplant Games of America in Denver, Colorado, where the team earned more than 100 medals. 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 transplant recipients and living donors in a Guinness World Record-setting gathering of 966 participants.
Donna and Rich also found a meaningful way to thank NJ Sharing Network staff members for their dedication to the organization’s lifesaving mission. Donna created ice cream cupcakes for staff members and brought the sweet treats to NJ Sharing Network’s Donation Resource Center (DRC) as a gesture of appreciation.
“We wanted to do something special to thank the people who work every day to help make organ and tissue donation possible,” said Donna. “Rich and I know firsthand how much this mission means to so many people and families. NJ Sharing Network’s team does extraordinary work, and we were happy to show them how much they are appreciated.”
Beyond their advocacy for NJ Sharing Network, Donna and Rich are well known throughout the Plainfield community for their family’s longtime commitment to supporting charitable organizations and giving back throughout New Jersey. Rich also continues to honor his heart donor’s legacy through his bicycle contribution program, which has provided more than 5,600 refurbished bicycles to children and teens throughout New Jersey.
According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), more than 100,000 Americans – including more than 3,000 New Jersey residents – are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. One organ donor can save up to eight lives, while one tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 75 people.
To learn more or to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit NJ Sharing Network’s website at www.NJSharingNetwork.org.
PHOTO CAPTION #1 – Members of Team Liberty gather to celebrate at the Dairy Queen in Plainfield. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of NJ Sharing Network)
PHOTO CAPTION #2 – NJ Sharing Network team members enjoy sweet treats from the Dairy Queen in Plainfield, shared as a gesture of appreciation for their work and dedication to saving and enhancing lives. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of NJ Sharing Network)