The Organ Trail Documentary to Premiere at Marian University March 26 

The inspiring story behind Mark and Lynn Scotch, a retired Wisconsin couple who started The Organ Trail, a not-for-profit raising awareness about living organ donation, is coming to Marian University. The documentary, titled “The Gift of Life: An Organ Trail Story”, will be screened during the 2025 Academic Symposium on Wednesday, March 26, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Stayer Center Dining Room, Marian University, 45 South National Avenue, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. 

The Organ Trail documentary trailer: http://tiny.cc/TheGiftOfLifeAnOrganTrail 

The documentary, created by former Texas Tech University students and led by filmmaker Michael Ortiz, chronicles the extraordinary journey of Mark and Lynn Scotch. Their mission began in 2020 after a chance meeting in a Louisiana bar with Hugh Smith, a retired jockey in desperate need of a kidney. Mark made the decision to donate his kidney through the National Kidney Registry Voucher Program, starting The Organ Trial. 

In early 2023, Lynn followed in Mark’s footsteps, donating her kidney through the voucher program to 2-year-old Cooper from Minneapolis, Minnesota who was born with end-stage renal failure, resulting in him being on dialysis since he was only 8 months old. 

Why It Matters:

• Nearly 100,000 Americans are currently on the kidney transplant waiting list, with 3,000 new patients added monthly. 
• Every day, 13 people in the U.S. die waiting for a kidney transplant. 
• If just 10-15 people out of every 10,000 became living donors, the waiting list could be eradicated. 

Since 2020, Mark and Lynn have logged more than 8,000 miles across six cross-country rides to raise awareness about the urgent need for living kidney donors.  

📽 Event Details:

• What: 2025 Academic Symposium – “The Gift of Life: An Organ Trail Story” Documentary Screening 
• When: Wednesday, March 26, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
• Where: Marian University, 45 South National Avenue, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 54935 – Stayer Center Dining Room
• Media Contact: Call or text Mark Scotch at 678-488-1996 or email ml.scotch@nkdo.com. 

For more information on The Organ Trail, visit: www.markscotch.com