Activism

Larry has, over the years, lent his name to a number of public service campaigns on behalf of causes in which he firmly believes.  Here are just a few that you may read more about and perhaps you would like to join Larry on behalf of these particular causes.  Additionally, accomplished actor, environmental proponent, and all around good guy, Larry is a strong supporter on environmental issues and drives a hybrid car, and his Ojai Ranch is run completely on solar energy. 

National Kidney Foundation SELF - including the Refunds for Good campaign launch
Institute of Ecolonomics American Cancer Society

 

 


2002

Above are some photos of Larry from this years National Kidney Foundation's
Transplant games held June 16 - 18, 2006 in Louisville, Kentucky.

An open letter from Larry Hagman ...

 

Larry Hagman

As one who has personally been touched by the gift of life, I encourage you to work with me to drive home the message that organ donation works and every American should consider it. Last year, 11,684 Americans and their families donated organs. This resulted in 20,593 life-saving transplants. Although these numbers are promising, it is still not enough for the thousands more critically ill individuals who could have been helped if more organs were available. There are now more than 82,000 people on the national organ transplantation waiting list. Everyday, 16 people die waiting for an organ transplant to give them a second chance at life.  

It is so important to get the word out … transplantation saves lives. Experts suggest that each of us could save or help as many as 50 people by being an organ donor.

We recycle everything these days … paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, tires …. why not recycle ourselves?

Please help by signing your donor card.  Click here, if you would like to download an organ donor card.

Thank you for your efforts.

 Larry Hagman

  
   

In 1995, following his successful liver transplant surgery, Larry joined forces with the National Kidney Foundation to bring attention to the need for organ donation. He currently serves as National Spokesperson for the U.S. Transplant Games, an Olympic-style event for recipients of life-saving organ transplants. Larry has also filled the same position for the World Games, which took place in Nanci, France in 2003.  

Larry will, once again, join the National Kidney Foundation for their U.S.Transplant Games on June 16, 17 and 18 in Louisville, Kentucky.  For more information on this year's event, please visit them online at www.kidney.org.

In addition, Larry has recently agreed to serve as a member of the Board of Director’s for the National Kidney Foundation’s TRANSPLANT AMERICA, a not-for-profit organization founded and managed by the NKF, Inc. to develop and implement strategies and programs that will increase the success and availability of organ and tissue transplantation. The surgical procedure of transplantation is well established and very successful in the United States. Transplant recipients go on to lead full and active lives, their health restored and their future preserved through the miracle of modern medicine, as witnessed by Larry's own recovery. Today, in the United States over 612,000 Americans are waiting for a transplant. They must wait until a family decides not to bury organs and tissue but to allow them to be donated and thus give life to someone else. Every 20 minutes another American is added to the waiting list. And, every day, 10 Americans die while waiting. YET, nearly half the families who could donate are never asked and half of those who are asked say no. THIS SITUATION CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. Please help by signing an organ donation card TODAY.  Some day you, or someone you love, may need the gift of life!

Visit the National Kidney Foundation online at www.kidney.org.

Larry also serves on the Board of Directors Advisory Committee of Tranplantation for the US. Dept. of Health and Human Services.  For more information, visit them online at www.organdonor.org.


The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, whose mission is to bring solar power to the 2 billion people still living without electricity. Acting as a catalyst, SELF provides technical and financial assistance for solar energy and wireless communication systems in the developing world to meet critical needs in healthcare, education, and economic development. SELF has launched solar rural electrification programs and enterprises in Bhutan, China, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and the Solomon Islands.  For more information, visit them online at www.self.org.

On Tuesday, April 14, 2007 Larry announced the launch of a campaign directing people how to claim telephone tax refunds and give that money to various environmental causes, including the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), which brings renewable solar energy to developing countries.  "I thought the campaign was a good idea.  Hopefully it will help people find a way to help the planet", says Larry.  The Internal Revenue Service stopped collecting the excise tax on long-distance and wireless calls last August, authorizing a one-time refund of tax money collected from phone service from March 2003 to July 2006.  The IRS reported in February that millions had not requested the refund.  Larry joined the RefundsforGood.org campaign because of  his own involvement with SELF and a dedication to green causes.  The website's founders, Jon Gorham and Michael Swartz, run the Connecticut-based company Refunds for Good Inc., which supports sustainable development projects.  For more information, and to watch Larry's PSA video clip, visit them online at www.refundsforgood.org.


 


The mission of the Institute of Ecolonomics is to demonstrate that creating a symbiotic relationship between a strong economy and a healthy ecology is the only formula for a sustainable future: develop non-polluting technologies that turn into viable ecolonomic businesses identity, research, demonstrate and promote clean and inexhaustible energy sources assist inventors of ecolonomic technologies obtain legal and other support implement ecolonomics curricula nationwide conduct ecolonomics courses and workshops via the Internet publsih literature for young people underscoring the interdependence of our ecology and economy produce ecolonomics public service announcements for radio and television stage dynamic media events demonstrating ecolonomic technologies.

For more information, please visit them online at:  www.ecolonomics.org.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
Great American Smokeout

From 1981 to 1992 Larry was the National Spokesperson for the American Cancer Society’s GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT. This national event encourages smokers to “kick the habit” for the day in the hopes of encouraging them to stop smoking.

Four Horsemen of Texas 
 Urge Senate to stop horse slaughter

Independent candidate for Texas governor Kinky Friedman joined his friend Willie Nelson Saturday to call for the end to horse slaughter for meat.

More than 90,000 horses were slaughtered last year in the U.S., some from two Texas slaughterhouses. The meat is mostly for consumption abroad, primarily in Japan, France and Belgium.

Now 11 horses have been saved from this fate and will live out their remaining days on Nelson's Spicewood ranch. They're all that's left of a herd of more than 300 that went on the auction block.

The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives September 7. If it's passed by the Senate and becomes a law, it would shut down the three horse slaughter plants in the country.

Friedman and Nelson are part of a group they call the Four Horsemen of Texas, which includes actor Larry Hagman and Robert Duval.

The bill is set to before the Senate for a vote when it reconvenes later in November, 2007.