“Pedaling for Life: One Heart’s Journey Across America” honors New York organ donors whose generosity help saves lives far beyond the state’s borders and inspires more Americans to register as donors
NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In early March, heart recipient and lifelong Long Island educator, Ken Abbott, will launch “Pedaling for Life: One Heart’s Journey Across America,” a seven-week, cross-country bicycle ride to raise awareness about the lifesaving power of organ donation in support of the LiveOnNY Foundation.
Abbott, 61, a retired middle school science teacher, former wrestling coach and father of two, will mark the 10-year anniversary of his transplant by riding from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida—a journey of nearly 75 miles a day that honors his donor and all organ donor heroes who make a second chance of life possible.
Traveling through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, Abbott hopes to meet transplant recipients, donor families, and supporters along the way. Ken’s journey is a tribute to organ donor heroes everywhere – and to highlight the extraordinary reach of New York donors, whose generosity have helped save lives far beyond the state’s borders.
From 2022 through 2025 alone, LiveOnNY donors provided 130 lifesaving organs to recipients across the states Ken will travel through on his cross-country ride — including 19 in California, five in Arizona, 28 in Texas, two in Louisiana, four in Alabama, and 72 in Florida. Over the past five years, nearly 5,000 individuals are off the waiting list locally and nationally because of New York donors.
“Donors in New York are saving lives in an equitable way across the country,” said Leonard Achan, President and CEO of LiveOnNY. “From the West Coast to Florida, Ken is a beacon, showing what is possible because of the generosity of organ donors. New York is a true melting pot of race, religion and culture and our organ and tissue donors from New York reflect that strength. Over 65% of New Yorkers’ gifts of life saved lives of patients on the transplant waiting list outside the New York metro region. As Ken rides through many states where recipients have been given a second chance at life, he reminds all of us that organ donation is for everyone, and that one selfless decision can save many lives.
More than 100,000 people across the United States are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant — and every eight minutes, another person is added to the national waiting list. Abbott received his heart transplant ten years ago through LiveOnNY, the federally designated organ procurement organization serving the New York metropolitan area.
“New York donors give hope not only here at home, but across the country,” Abbott said. “My life is possible because someone said ‘yes’ to organ donation. This ride is my way of honoring my donor and showing what’s possible after a transplant. Organ donation doesn’t just save lives — it restores them.”
Abbott’s path to transplantation began at age 40, when he was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that attacked his heart. By 2016, his condition had deteriorated so severely that he was given only a five percent chance of survival and placed on the heart transplant waiting list. After six months of waiting, Abbott received the call that changed everything.
“On December 22, 2016, my phone rang during second period while I was teaching,” Abbott recalled. “The doctors told me they had a heart for me. From that moment on, my life was changed forever.”
Now, nearly a decade later, Abbott is channeling his gratitude into advocacy and action. His ride will raise funds for the LiveOnNY Foundation, which supports donor families, transplant recipients, and public education efforts that advance organ, eye, and tissue donation.
“Ken’s story embodies the hope and resilience at the heart of organ donation,” said Jenny Lai, Executive Director of the LiveOnNY Foundation. “His ride is a powerful reminder that one donor can save multiple lives — and that those lives can go on to inspire countless others.”
Abbott and his wife, Eleanor, are longtime LiveOnNY volunteers, participating in hospital visits, community outreach events, and charity runs. In 2018, Abbott was selected to represent Team LiveOnNY at the Transplant Games of America in Salt Lake City, where he won a bronze medal in long jump in his age group and competed in the virtual triathlon.
That experience sparked his passion for cycling — and planted the seed for this ambitious cross-country journey.
To learn more about Ken Abbott’s ride and support his efforts benefiting the LiveOnNY Foundation, visit: Pedaling for Life: One Heart’s Journey Across America.
ABOUT LIVEONNY FOUNDATION
The LiveOnNY Foundation supports education and awareness of the lifesaving impact of organ and tissue donation and programs benefitting both donor families and transplant patients through their journeys.
ABOUT LIVEONNY
LiveOnNY is a federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) committed to honoring, saving, and transforming lives through organ and tissue donation. Established in 1978, LiveOnNY collaborates with more than 100 area hospitals, providing support to donor families and transplant recipients. The OPO serves a diverse population of 13 million people of New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Rockland counties. Recognized as one of the nation’s top-performing OPOs, LiveOnNY and the people of New York have increased organ donation by 85% over the past five years. To learn more, visit LiveOnNY.org
SOURCE LiveOnNY
