Sparta runner marks nearly a decade since lifesaving kidney transplant
Sparta. A kidney donated by a friend nearly a decade ago allowed Sparta resident Gary Kawka to return to marathon running and continue an active life with his family.
| 02 Apr 2026 | 04:30
Gary Kawka, left, and Shawn Hoppe prepare for kidney transplant surgery in March 2017. (
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As National Donate Life Month begins, Sparta resident Gary Kawka is reflecting on the kidney transplant that changed his life nearly nine years ago, made possible by the generosity of friend Shawn Hoppe.
April 1 marks Donate Life Living Donor Day, an annual observance honoring living organ and tissue donors. Health officials note that more than 7,000 people nationwide donated a kidney or part of a liver in 2024, while nearly 90,000 people remain on the waiting list for a kidney transplant.
For Kawka, that need became personal when declining kidney function caused by Alport syndrome led to the need for a transplant. Rather than spending years on a waiting list, he received a kidney from Hoppe, a friend he met through Team In Training.
Kawka became involved with the program after the death of his son Matthew from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2005. Over the years, he raised more than $230,000 for blood cancer research and became known for the phrase “We must never quit,” which participants continue to use before training sessions.
Hoppe said she volunteered to be tested after learning Kawka needed a kidney and later discovered she was a compatible donor. She shared the news while the two were traveling with teammates to Marine Corps Marathon in Washington.
The transplant took place in March 2017. Kawka said he began walking laps in the hospital the day after surgery and completed his first post-transplant marathon seven months later. Since then, he has finished 20 marathons with his transplanted kidney.
Hoppe, now 49, said the surgery and recovery were smoother than many people expect and that she continues to live a healthy, active life.
The friendship between the two remains strong, with Kawka sending Hoppe a monthly “happy kidney-versary” message marking the date of the transplant.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 100,000 Americans, including nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents, are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants.
