Six athletes from Delaware County traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to take part in last week’s Donate Life Transplant Games of America, writes Patti Mengers for the News of Delaware County.

The competition styled as the Olympics for organ transplant recipients was previously known as the U.S. Transplant Games.

For Parkside’s Howard Pritchard, this was the eighth games he has participated in. He donated one of his kidneys to his younger brother, John Matthew Pritchard, who sadly passed away ten years later. His brother also took part in the games in 1998 and 2000, as part of the County’s bowling team.

“One of the main reasons I do participate in the transplant games is to honor my brother,” said Pritchard.

Five other participants from Delaware County competed in the games as part of Team Philadelphia, including kidney donors Larry Roby of Springfield and Nicole Gladfelter of the Holmes section of Ridley Township, as well as kidney recipients Ryan Roby of Ridley Park, Jeff Richards of Glenolden, and Paul Graefe from the Folsom section of Ridley Township.

“We have 93 athletes, 26 donor families, and over 100 supporters going to the transplant games with Team Philadelphia,” said Kelly Antczak, Special Events Coordinator for the Gift of Life Donor Program in Philadelphia.

Read more about the transplant games in the News of Delaware County by clicking here.