NEDS to partner with the Veronica Robles Cultural Center to raise awareness about the importance of honoring organ donors and recipients through Latino culture and traditions
BOSTON, MA – New England Donor Services (NEDS) will partner with the Veronica Robles Cultural Center for a Day of the Dead (“Día de los Muertos”) Remembrance Program on Saturday, October 31st at the ICA Watershed in East Boston. This free, bilingual (English/Spanish) public event from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET will feature a display of traditional ofrendas (altars) honoring deceased loved ones. As part of a special remembrance ceremony, NEDS will present an ofrenda with photos and stories of organ donors to pay tribute to those who have given the gift of life through organ donation, while also raising awareness about the vital need for organ donors.
Día de los Muertos is an annual Mexican observance, also celebrated throughout Latin America and in several parts of the U.S., where families remember and welcome the souls of their deceased relatives for a celebratory reunion. The observance is usually celebrated from October 31st to November 3rd. The Remembrance Program will include the exhibition of ofrendas in addition to musical performances, art-making workshops, lectures, and more. The NEDS ofrenda will be on display from October 31st to November 2nd.
The Hispanic community is disproportionately affected by health issues that could result in the need for an organ transplant. Hispanic individuals currently represent 23 percent of the national organ transplant waiting list and are at risk of death if the needed organ is not donated and transplanted in time. Research has shown that compatible blood types and biological markers, important factors in donor matching, are found in members of the same race or ethnicity, highlighting the need for more Hispanic organ donors. While the number of Hispanic patients receiving a transplant has steadily increased for over a decade, there is still a racial and ethnic imbalance in the donor pool. NEDS continuously works to draw attention to and address the racial disparities in organ donation.
The event also comes as NEDS achieved a record number of transplants last year. In 2025, NEDS coordinated organ donations from 640 deceased donors resulting in 1,692 life-saving transplants. This record number of organ transplants represents the fifth consecutive year of growth and places NEDS among the nation’s top three organ procurement organizations (OPOs) by donor and transplant volume. Since 2020, NEDS has increased the number of life-saving organ transplants from New England organ donors by 65 percent. In addition, the organization’s Aftercare team provided care to 3,390 new donor families last year. In 2025, NEDS also coordinated 1,628 donor family and recipient letters, and 1,426 individuals impacted by organ donation attended NEDS-sponsored events.
WHO:
The event will feature:
- Ingrid Palacios, Senior Multicultural Program Manager at New England Donor Services and Done Vida New England
- Veronica Robles Cultural Center Representatives
- Local artists and performers, including musician Memo Morales
- Donor families and transplant recipients
WHEN:
New England Donor Services Remembrance Program:
Saturday, October 31, 2026
11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
Ofrenda Exhibition:
Saturday, October 31, 2026 to Monday, November 2, 2026
Open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET each day
WHERE:
ICA Watershed
About New England Donor Services (NEDS)
New England Donor Services is a leading nonprofit organization that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, the eastern counties of Vermont, and Bermuda. Co-founded in 1968 by Nobel Laureate Dr. Joseph Murray, who performed the world’s first successful organ transplant, today NEDS works with thousands of donors and donor families who have generously made the decision to give the gift of life. The organization’s highly skilled staff medically screen referrals for potential donations from more than 200 hospitals across the region and lead all donor authorization discussions with families. NEDS also allocates organs according to the national transplant waiting list and coordinates their transport to ensure the right organs get to the right patients at the right time. As part of its Aftercare Services, NEDS provides ongoing support and resources to donor families by offering opportunities for communication to transplant recipients, and occasions to honor, remember, and celebrate their loved ones who gave the gift of life. Learn more at https://neds.org/ or follow us on LinkedIn or on X at @NEDonorServices.
