UNYTS now has a new name. The local organ, eye, tissue and blood donor network is now known as ConnectLife. CEO Mark Simon says people knew the name UNYTS, but didn't understand all of the services the organization provides.
"Even places I would go where people knew me, even they got confused sometimes," he said. "So we felt the name change was the way to retell our story and make sure that people, when they see it, they know what it means. So that's what the goal is."
UNYTS actually was an abbreviation for Upstate New York Transplant Services. Simon says by raising awareness of the new name, ConnectLife seeks to increase donor participation and forge deeper connections with its supporters.
Along with a new name the organization has moved from downtown Buffalo to Bryant and Stratton Way, off Main Street, in Williamsville.