Poetry Contest

Submissions for the 2025 Poetry Contest are now closed. You can read all the poetry submissions and view the winners below.

The Donate Life Northwest Poetry Contest is designed to showcase your perspective on donation and transplantation, and to better understand what it means to you and your community. Whether it is a tribute to a donor family member who has passed, or a reflection of your joy at receiving a life-saving organ or tissue transplant, we hope that beautiful works of poetry can help capture part of the experience.

We encourage creativity! Feel free to submit poetry of all types-- lyrics, prose, poems, acrostic poems, haikus, sonnets, experimental, etc. However you wish to best express your feelings and experiences with organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation, we are excited to read.

The poetry contest launched in March 2025 and ran through our Summer Block Party on June 8th. At that event, the winner will be announced, along with people's choice voting. The winning poem will be featured in a DLNW digital campaign and will receive a $200 gift card. The people's choice winner will receive a $100 gift card.

2025 Winners

First Place: "a conversation" by Alysia Yamasaki
Alysia, a kidney recipient, says her poem is about "An interpersonal conversation a transplant recipient has with themself, knowing the sacrifice that was made for them to be alive.  Acknowledging that there is heartache on both sides and not wanting to disappoint themselves but their donor too. How can they honor this person who saved them? But to live."

People's Choice: "You're Still Here" by Kristy Manuel
Kristy, a donor mom, says of her poem, "When our son died in a tragic accident, we decided to offer what we could to help others. It didn't surprise us that our son had also chosen to donate organs. This poem reminds me that through those donations, my son lives on and each donation honors his memory. Those who have chosen to learn about their donor, our son, have gotten to know him in a special way - like we do. "

2025-All Submissions

1. "a conversation" by Alysia Yamasaki
2. "A Haiku" by Tammy Yorba
3. "Addilou- I bought you a star" by Amanda Schroeder
4. "Bittersweet Prayer" by Kim Oxender
5. "Bringing Miracles" by Kari Engholm
6. "Dono" by Samantha Albert
7. "Donor Family" by Kim Oxender
8. "Finding Peace" by Kari Engholm
9. "Haiku for Byron" by Anonymous
10. "Haiku for Roberta" by Anonymous
11. "Health and Hope" by Kari Engholm
12. "Hope" by Maureen Zebley
13. "Love and Living" by Tricia Kluge
14. "Never Alone" by Kallie Caito
15. "Now I can dream" by Anonymous
16. "Paddle On" by Ellie Irish-Jones
17. "The gift of life" by Tammy Yorba
18. "The sky danced for me" by Alysia Yamasaki
19. "The Tragedy and the Gift" by Elizabeth Cloud
20. "To Live means to Give" by Traci Neal
21. "What Is a Care Giver?" by Danette Dickerman
22. "You're Still Here" by Kristy Manuel

Poetry Book

In the fall of 2025, we printed a book of poetry including all of the submissions. You can download a PDF version here, or if you'd prefer a physical copy, you can request one, below. Please note, that physical copies are limited to one per person, and you must reside in our service area (Oregon and SW Washington).

For more information, or with any questions, contact us at 503-494-7888 or info@donatelifenw.org.