ICU Nurses Launch First-Ever Critical Care Gala
This April, UR Medicine’s Critical Care team will host the inaugural Critical Care Gala in partnership with Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network to raise awareness and funds for organ donation. The gala will offer healthcare professionals and the community the chance to dress up, enjoy an evening together, and support a cause that transforms lives.
Event Details
- Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
- Location: The Arbor Midtown
183 East Main Street, Rochester - Tickets: Admission: $125
Table: $1,150

Organ Donation and Critical Care
Organ donation is a significant part of patient care in critical care units across UR Medicine. The staff is inspired daily by the stories of their patients, from the resilience of transplant recipients to the generosity of living donors.
Madison Dunn, a surgical ICU nurse and co-organizer of the gala, says, “It’s a fulfilling and emotional job taking care of transplant patients. We walk with patients through the process of getting a second chance at life.”
Critical care also cares for donors who give a portion of their liver to loved ones. Some people even donate to complete strangers. Dunn said, “It’s an honor to take care of those who do such a heartfelt action. You have patients who stick in your heart throughout your career.”
Shannon Eckel, Assistant Nurse Manager in the Surgical ICU at Strong Memorial Hospital and a key event organizer, didn’t expect to fall in love with caring for liver transplant individuals when she first began her nursing career. “But seeing the patients through all the complications, to leaving the ICU, and even visiting our unit once they’ve left—it’s incredibly rewarding to see that whole process,” she said.
The gala will support the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network (FLDRN), part of the University of Rochester Medical Center. FLDRN coordinates organ and tissue donation, working with 37 community hospitals in the Finger Lakes, Central, and Northern New York regions.
“Every unit, from burn trauma to neuro and cardiac ICUs, has a stake in organ donation,” said Eckel. “This event is truly a collaboration of our entire service line.”
More than 100,000 people across the country need a life-saving organ transplant. That includes more than 500 people waiting for a new heart, kidney, liver, or pancreas at UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital, upstate New York’s leading transplant center.
In 2024, more organ transplants were performed than ever before in the United States. But it’s still not enough. The shortage of organ donors means very sick patients must wait longer for life-saving surgeries, and 17 die each day waiting.
Anyone age 16 and older can make a difference by joining the New York State Donate Life Registry. There are five ways to register:
- online at passlifeon.org, it takes just a few minutes;
- at the Department of Motor Vehicles;
- when applying for health care benefits through the New York Health Exchange;
- when registering to vote; or
- through UR Medicine’s MyChart patient portal.
And, living donation is an option for kidney and liver transplantation. Family members may be close matches for patients and choose to donate. Other times altruistic donors come to the aid of a stranger who is a match. Learn more here.
FLDRN provides vital resources, education, and support to patients, families, and healthcare providers navigating the organ-donation process.
Dunn was inspired by similar galas hosted by other units and immediately thought of FLDRN. “We wanted to create a space to connect with our colleagues while also raising funds for a cause integral to our work,” she said.
The critical care team hopes the volunteer-led gala will become an annual tradition.
Visit criticalcaregala.com to purchase tickets or learn more.