The phrase "POSTPONE NOTHING." written in large, bold, green letters on a black background.

Supporting transplant recipients and caregivers

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upcoming Events

  • Logo for the Kilpatrick Shamrock Smash Tournament & Festival, supporting organ donation, with green-themed shamrocks and event details including dates, location, and a slogan about not postponing anything.

    Shamrock Smash 2026

    04.11.2026

    THE PICKLR Austin West

    8201 N FM-620

    Registration open 12/2025

  • Logo for Transplant Games 2026 in Denver, featuring mountains and a star with a red, white, and blue color scheme.

    Transplant Games of America

    06.18.2026-06.23.2026

    Denver, CO

    Register for the Games!

  • Team Texas Bowling Fundraiser (partner org event)

    12.07.2025
    GKF will be supporting our Team Texas Life Warriors

    Spare Time Texas.
    1724 FM 685
    Pflugerville Texas

    $280 4 person team/$70 individual
    9:15 check-in/9:45-12:30 bowling/12:30-2 raffle, auction & awards

    Register by 11/15/2025

get involved

Group of people holding a large banner that reads 'GENIEKILPATRICK FOUNDATION POSTPONE NOTHING' in a warmly lit room with modern decor. There are tables with papers, bottles, and various items in the foreground.

Subscribe to our mailing list and receive invitations and updates from GKF. We would love for you to be a part of our transplant strong community!

Join the GKF community

Two women on a stage, one speaking into a microphone and the other standing beside her, with a large photo of a smiling woman wearing a medal on an easel nearby. People are seated in the background.

Provide fitness event scholarships, medical research funding and community building events for transplant recipients.

Donate

Donate
Group of people gathered on a tennis court with a large banner that reads 'GENE KILPATRICK FOUNDATION POST-OP SUPPORT'. They are smiling and appear to be participating in or celebrating a charity event.

The best way to learn more about us and see the impact of our work is to attend one of our GKF events. We’d love to have you join!

Attend Events

Check out our events

We host events on a regular basis and are grateful for our volunteers who serve in a variety of capacities. If you are interested, we’d love to talk.

volunteer

Two women wearing red shirts with 'DONATE LIFE' printed on the back, celebrating at the 2018 Transplant Games in Salt Lake City, with medals and hats promoting organ donation.

Please consider becoming a donor through the Donate Life registry.

save lives by registering to be an organ donor

Join Donate Life Registry

Our mission

  • Support Post-Transplant Rehab & Fitness

    We host fitness-focused events and fund scholarships for the Transplant Games of America.

    Two women in athletic wear and festive masks, celebrating and posing in front of a step-and-repeat backdrop. A photographer is taking their picture in an indoor sports facility with a green turf floor.

  • Build Transplant Strong Community

    We connect recipients, caregivers and community members to educate, empower and extend post-transplant life.

    Group of people posing behind a banner at a tennis court, with a fence and cloudy sky in the background, participating in a Genie Kilpatrick Foundation charity event.

  • Fund Transplant Medical Research

    We fund innovative research addressing critical needs for transplant recipients.

    Group of four healthcare professionals standing together in a clinical setting, wearing white medical coats with stethoscopes and ID badges.

our inspiration

Smiling athletic woman wearing a 'Donate Life' written on it, against a yellow background, promoting organ and tissue donations in Texas.

Genie Kilpatrick, a double lung transplant recipient and gold-medalist lived by a simple motto: Postpone Nothing.

As Genie's biggest supporters, we continue to be inspired by her passion and determination to live her life in honor of her donor's gift.

The Genie Kilpatrick Foundation was founded in order to carry on Genie’s vision that every transplant recipient has the support needed to pursue a healthy and active post-transplant life.

Learn more about Genie’s Story

Our Team

Sheri Norris

Founder & Board Chair

Sheri Norris, founder of the Genie Kilpatrick Foundation, was introduced to the transplant community when her wife Genie received a double lung transplant, where Sheri served as caretaker. A lifetime tennis player, Sheri competed collegiately at Arizona State University and on the Women’s Professional Tennis Tour before building a long career in tennis sales management. Post transplant, Genie shared five inspiring years with Sheri before passing from organ rejection. That experience led Sheri to start the Foundation with close friends to honor Genie’s legacy and continue advocating for organ donation.


Jill Neal

Founder & Treasurer

Jill Neal brings experience in the medical field, finance, startups, and teaching, along with a degree in Accounting and more than a decade of professional work in health care. Inspired by her sister Genie’s determination to stay active after transplant, Jill later drew on that example during her own stem cell transplant journey. Discovering table tennis rebuilt her strength and renewed her health. That experience fuels her commitment to the Foundation’s mission of strengthening the post-transplant community.

Vanessa Morgan

President

Vanessa Morgan, an entrepreneur and former IBM Solutions Architect with 35+ years of business experience, helped start the Genie Kilpatrick Foundation to support organ and tissue donation research. Inspired by her mother Lynne’s cancer-related stem cell transplant and its rejection symptoms, as well as friends Sheri and Genie, she is passionate about addressing transplant rejection issues along with supporting recipients post transplant.Vanessa holds an MBA and leads strategic and financial matters at the Genie Kilpatrick Foundation.

Sherry Holdridge

Vice President

Sherry Holdridge is an entrepreneur and online marketing strategist with decades of experience in e-commerce, branding, and digital campaigns. As founder and CEO of OHSAY USA, she provides entrepreneurial leadership for an online store dedicated to products made in the USA, and earlier built and led the new media department at Tocquigny, a nationally recognized interactive agency. Her longtime friendship with Genie inspires her commitment to grow the Foundation’s visibility and reach. With a personal focus on health and longevity, she applies her marketing expertise to support its mission of advancing transplant research and strengthening the post-transplant community.

Melinda Jackson

Secretary

Melinda (Mindy) Jackson brings work experiences from community social services, higher education research and program management, and immersive learning and training development for diverse organizations such as the American Heart Association, Harvard Business School, and Whole Foods. In her work and volunteer endeavors she focuses on developing skills and capabilities, improving outcomes, and building community.

Kristen Patton

Branding & Communications

Kristen is a grateful transplant recipient, wife and mother to four human children and a pack of dog children. She got her start in Austin tech as a UX and Integration Consultant before launching her own consultancy. She now enjoys her dream job as Chief Family Officer and volunteer for non-profit organizations looking to grow and make significant impact in health and wellness.