Denver is gearing up to host the Transplant Games of America from June 18 to 23, an Olympic-style celebration where transplant recipients, living donors, donor families and supporters come together to compete, reconnect and remember. The week will feature more than 20 athletic and recreational competitions along with educational programming and ceremonies. For many local participants, including veteran competitors and volunteer organizers, the Games are both a high-energy showcase and a serious push to grow organ and tissue donor registration as Denver welcomes the event for the first time.
That momentum was on full display at a recent flag-signing event at Donor Alliance, where Team Rocky Mountain gathered to mark roughly 90 days until the opening ceremonies and to honor donor families while local athletes prepared for the trip. According to CBS News Colorado, Andrew Menard, a kidney transplant recipient who was a fourth-grade teacher when he received his transplant 12 years ago, has competed in the Games for about a decade and now captains Team Rocky Mountain. Organizers expect approximately 12,000 attendees and have described the event as "the largest celebration of life in the world."
What to expect at the Games
The official Transplant Games of America calendar lays out the Denver schedule, with competitions and community programming running from June 18 to 23, and the Colorado Convention Center serving as a central hub for many activities. The site notes that the Games are a biennial, multi-sport celebration featuring more than 20 athletic and recreational competitions and dozens of special events for recipients, donors and supporters.
Team Rocky Mountain and the local reach
Team Rocky Mountain unites transplant recipients, living donors, donor family members and supporters from Colorado, Wyoming and Montana, and the host-team site highlights training sessions, fundraisers and community activities building toward June. As Donor Alliance points out, nearly 1,300 people in Colorado are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, a number organizers say underscores why donor outreach during the Games is so important.
Why it matters for Denver
The Colorado Convention Center lists the Transplant Games among its June 2026 events, putting much of the programming in the heart of downtown Denver. That central footprint gives advocates, hospitals and donor organizations a focused week to run clinics, workshops, and registration efforts that aim to turn the Games' visibility into more living and posthumous donors.
Local host organizers say the lead-up has already sparked fundraisers and community meetups, with Team Rocky Mountain promoting upcoming events and a "15 x $15" campaign as athletes and families get ready to bring the celebration to Denver. For details on schedules, volunteer roles and registration, organizers direct people to the team page and the Donor Alliance.
