News
TDS Hosts Donate Life Game with the Nashville Sounds
May 23, 2025
The impact of saving lives is still hitting home with many today as Tennessee Donor Services partnered with the Nashville Sounds to host the Home Run for Life Game on Wednesday, May 21, during the Sounds’ doubleheader matchup against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, at First Horizon Park.
Kasen Fisher (14), son of donor hero Kyle Fisher, took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch, with Kelly Helmlinger, father of Ryland Helmlinger (6), the recipient of a portion of Kyle’s liver at four months old, catching the opening toss.
Kyle, a former active Macon County community member and paramedic, was a lasting hero through life and through giving. His lifesaving choice to become an organ donor helped give six people a second chance at life. Both families were present on the field, symbolizing the life-changing bond between donor and recipient. ‘
Watch the ceremonial pitch here.
“This event brings donor families and recipients together in a unique and emotional way. Each story is a reminder of the lives touched—and saved—by organ and tissue donation.”
Jill Grandas, CEO, Tennessee Donor Services
During a special Round the Bases for Life tribute held between innings, Luke Rodriguez (10) ran the bases in honor of his father, Manuel Rodriguez, a donor hero. The Rodriguez family, from Bedford County, was recognized on the field for their loved one’s life-saving legacy. Manuel Rodriguez became a donor hero at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, TN, giving the gift of life to four individuals through his generous and selfless decision to donate.
Watch Luke’s Round the Bases here.
The Nashville Sounds came out on top in both games of the doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
About Tennessee Donor Services
An Extraordinary Commitment to Science, Health, and Hope
Tennessee Donor Services a non-profit, organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to saving and improving lives by connecting organ and tissue donations to the patients who need them. TDS serves nearly five and a half million people in Tennessee and Virginia.
