UO alum to be honored by organ donation float at Rose Parade

The memory of a University of Oregon graduate will be remembered during the 2012 Rose Parade on a float entry by Donate Life. The float aims to raise awareness of life-saving organ donation and its impacts on families.

Nicole Lynn Richardson graduated from the UO School of Law and went on to a promising career providing legal service to society’s vulnerable populations before a fatal car accident in 2006.

According to Donate Life’s website, “Nicole's commitment to organ donation was evident on her driver's license, and as a result her lungs, kidneys, heart, pancreas, liver and corneas have saved or enhanced the lives of seven others.”

Richardson will be honored as one of 72 floragraphs, which are portraits created with floral materials, on the float.

During law school, she worked for the county public defender's office, continuing to provide client services when the office was closed during a funding crunch. She performed pro bono work for the Oregon State Public Defender, writing a clemency petition on behalf of a prison inmate.

In her memory, her parents established the Nicole Richardson Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award, which annually provides a cash award to UO third-year law student who embodies passion and commitment to underserved populations.

"Nicole had signed up as an organ donor and we want to build on her recognition of the importance of organ donation,” said the Richardsons. “Our goal is to help encourage people to make a personal commitment to being an organ donor. And we want to continue to support organ donation because we have seen first-hand how lives can be saved or improved through the gift of an organ.

"We want to keep Nicole's memory alive; we do it as a tribute to her."