Fred Salas is one of the most inspiring people I know about pretty much every aspect of life. In our work at OneLegacy I meet a lot of people who have remarkable and inspiring stories to tell of the power of organ, eye, and tissue donation helping families who’ve lost a loved one to find a moment of hope and light in their tragedy by enabling the life-saving gift of transplantation…and then there’s Fred.

Whether by virtue of his personality, his spiritual beliefs, his care for family, his caring for others, his care for his community, his ability to tell a story…Fred has taken this mission and message to a whole other level…and he is an example for all of us.

Fred’s creation of the Live Like Jack Foundation has been the focal point of his passion to share his son’s too short but oh so inspiring life to remind us to value every day and relish each accomplishment, learn from every challenge, and to embrace all that it means to be alive and recognize that our greatest joys come from helping those around us, who make our world a richer place.

Now I kind of wonder how much of this comes from his enthusiasm as a sports fan and a football play-by-play guy, his work in real estate, his being driven by a higher calling…and its most likely all of the above. If you believe that the measure of a man or woman is how they approach and embrace life, it’s joys and pains, opportunities and challenges, then I know of no one who has shared with all of us a model of how to bring the absolute most to and get the most out of life.

Those of us who have worked with Fred, watched him, and learned from him are better for it. Fred’s ability to share his life’s journey and message of inspiration is an example to us all. Thank you, Fred, we are forever grateful for all you have brought and will bring to our shared mission of helping people Donate Life.