Allen Janohosky was a caring and considerate young man who always extended his love to family and friends and to anyone who needed help. He understood the power of love and giving when in 2001, at age 16, he said "Yes" to organ and tissue donation on his driver's license. A year later, Allen died tragically in an auto accident, and his family honored his wish to be an organ and cornea donor. His kidney-pancreas recipient, Jimmy Lynch, will ride the float proudly beside his donor's floragraph. Since Allen's donation, his mother Jean Janohosky has been a tireless advocate of donation. She considers her son "our Hero."

Allen's Story

Allen Janohosky was a caring and considerate young man who always extended his love to family and friends.  Instantly recognized in his red pickup truck, he was always there whenever someone needed help.

He was widely cherished as a son, brother, uncle and friend. An outdoorsman, he loved catching a walleye while ice fishing or sunfish in fresh water. He developed quite an entrepreneurial spirit using his computer and people skills.

Allen understood the power of love and giving when in 2001, at age 16, he said "Yes" to organ and tissue donation on his driver's license. The next year, at age 17, he went on his first adventure road trip to raft the 1996 Olympic White Water venue in the Great Smoky Mountains near Chattanooga, TN.

Tragically, Allen died in an auto accident that day after successfully rafting the challenging Ocoee River rapids. His family honored his wish to be an organ and tissue donor. His gifts of life saved five people through organ donation and helped one person to see through cornea donation.

Allen's kidney-pancreas recipient, Jimmy Lynch, will ride on this year's float and the Janohosky and Lynch families will be together again in Pasadena. They met first at the 2004 Transplant Games of America in Minneapolis and were together again at the 2010 Games in Madison and the 2014 Games in Houston, where Jimmy competed for Team Mississippi for his sixth straight time.

Since Allen's donation, his mother, Jean Janohosky, has advocated tirelessly for organ and tissue donation. Jean volunteers for her local OPO, LifeSource, and served as the Chair of the National Kidney Foundation's National Donor Family Council. His niece still lovingly drives his red pickup truck, and his smile and presence are always with us.

"He is our Hero," Jean said.