Miss Butler County advocates for organ donation at Butler Memorial Hospital event
Throughout her life, Annie Rieg has experienced organ and tissue donation from many different perspectives.
Her paternal grandfather died while waiting for a transplant, a cousin received a life-saving bone marrow transplant while suffering from a rare immune disease and a friend died shortly after receiving a double-lung transplant.
“Through all of these experiences, I've seen firsthand the full circle of what donation truly means and the enduring legacy it carries forward,” Rieg said.
Rieg, now serving as this year’s Miss Butler County, was at Butler Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 16, to advocate for organ, tissue and cornea donation as part of an annual flag-raising ceremony for National Donate Life Month, held in collaboration with the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE).
Rieg’s most recent secondhand experience with donation occurred in June 2025, when her maternal grandfather, Bill, died of a massive heart attack.
“My ‘pap’ meant everything to me,” Rieg said. “He was a husband of 60 years, a father to four, a grandfather to four and a great-grandfather to two. He was also a protector, the kind of man who made everyone around him feel safe and taken care of. He carried a quiet strength and he passed that strength on to me.”
According to Rieg, although he had never formally registered as a donor, her grandfather supported Rieg’s organ donation advocacy efforts. After his death, the family received a call from CORE inquiring about the possibility of authorizing his body for organ or tissue donation — a decision which added more stress to an already-traumatizing situation.
“In that moment, everything felt very overwhelming. We were in shock and suddenly we were being asked to make a decision that carried so much weight,” Rieg said. “We knew the kind of man he was. And because of that, my grandfather was able to give the gift of tissue donation.”
In addition to her duties as Miss Butler County, Rieg works as an administrative assistant for CORE and regularly incorporates her advocacy for organ and tissue donation into her public appearances.
“My platform that I will be taking to Miss Pennsylvania this June is organ, tissue and cornea donation,” Rieg said. “I advocate for it not only through my pageants, but I work professionally for CORE. It truly has impacted all aspects of my life. It’s something I’m very proud to advocate for.”
CORE is an organ procurement organization which partners with hospitals across Western Pennsylvania and most of West Virginia to coordinate the recovery of organs and tissue from donors, while also organizing local Donate Life Month efforts.
According to Bruno Mastroianni, chief information officer for CORE, donations in the group’s service area have increased for the past seven consecutive years.
“There are people enjoying the future they were not sure they would have. There are everyday moments that after a transplant became priceless: a walk outside, a birthday, a clear view of a loved one’s face,” Mastroianni said. “Those moments are why we do what we do, and so many of those moments are only possible because this hospital team helped honor the generous gifts of these donors.”
“The decision to become an organ donor, or a tissue or cornea donor, can really extend out and have a pretty significant impact, branching out to impact any number of different individuals,” said Matthew Schnur, president of Butler Memorial Hospital. “As a result, every donor leaves a lasting legacy and that generosity allows others to heal, to thrive and continue in ways that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.”
Independence Health System has held similar flag-raising ceremonies at its other hospitals at Frick and Westmoreland on April 6, and at Latrobe Hospital on April 13. Another is scheduled for Clarion Hospital on April 17.
The Donate Life flag will be displayed outside of Butler Memorial Hospital throughout the remainder of April.
In addition to the Donate Life flag, CORE and the hospital also displayed a tapestry with photos of others who chose to donate their organs or tissue posthumously.
“Each family is able to bring a quilt square to honor their loved one, so I’ll be making my quilt square this year for my ‘pap,’” Rieg said.
