The MJ Transplant Trot event is an independently run not-for-profit running & walking event held yearly in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Transplant Trots are held in a variety of cities across Canada. Each Transplant Trot is organized by a group of local volunteers on behalf of the Canadian Transplant Association.
The Transplant Trot was created to:
Roxanna Gadd-Frey
Roxanna is a lifetime member of the Canadian Transplant Association who resides in Moose Jaw, SK. She is the mother of a double-lung transplant recipient, Kevyn, and has been an organ donor since age 16. She has seen firsthand the amazing work of transplant organizations and the effects they can have on a community. Roxanna wanted to do her part by raising awareness so her family brought the Transplant Trot to Moose Jaw.
Jenifer Gadd
In 2013, Jenifer’s brother Kevyn learnt that he would require a double lung transplant. In February of 2014, Kevyn was given the gift of life when he received a double lung transplant. Their family wanted to find a way to give back to honour her brothers’ donor and their family. They learned about the transplant trot while in Edmonton and decided this was a way they could spread awareness on organ donation as well as honour the person who so graciously signed their donor card and their family who ultimately had to make the decision to donate their loved ones’ organs.
Terrie Ahadi
Organ donation and transplants were not things that were ever a part of Terrie’s life until 2014 when Kevyn got his transplant. Seeing how it changed his family’s life has greatly impacted her. She is now aware of just how crucial it is to talk to family about being an organ donor. She wants to make sure her children are aware of the importance so they volunteer as a family.
The Moose Jaw Transplant Trot is set to return May 24, marking 12 years of raising awareness for organ and tissue donation while bringing together transplant recipients, donor families, and supporters from across the community.
Roxanna Gadd-Frey founded the event after her son, Kevin Gadd, received a double lung transplant in February 2014. While in Edmonton for his surgery, the family attended a transplant trot there and decided to bring a similar event to Moose Jaw.
Along with her daughter, Jennifer Gadd, and family friend Terrie Ahadi, Gadd‑Frey has helped organize the trot each year.
“Our main goal is to raise awareness and connect people who have had transplants, are waiting for one, or have been affected by organ donation,” she said.
Funds raised through the Moose Jaw Transplant Trot are sent to the Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Transplant Association, which uses the money to support education and awareness initiatives throughout the province.
Registration is available at www.mjtransplanttrot.ca, with prices unchanged since the event began:
Participants receive a free t‑shirt, and donations of $20 or more qualify for a tax receipt.
A registered organ donor since age 16, Gadd‑Frey said the need for a transplant can impact anyone.
“You never know who it’s going to affect,” she said, encouraging people to register through Saskatchewan’s online donor registry and to let their family know their wishes.
Over the years, the trot has brought together transplant recipients, living donors, and donor families — creating what organizers describe as a close‑knit transplant community.
“We are incredibly grateful to our donor family,” Gadd‑Frey said in an emotional tone. “They gave a beautiful gift during a terrible time, and we’ll never forget it.”
The Moose Jaw Transplant Trot takes place May 24, with organizers looking forward to welcoming the community once again. Listen to the full interview with Roxanna Gadd-Frey below.
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