Logan’s Law implemented this week

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Dozens of new state laws took effect in Iowa on Monday, but only one is personal to Lenny and Wendy Luft.

On July 1, Logan’s Law — which allows people to add an organ donor sticker on their hunting and fishing licenses — was implemented by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

“We are so excited. It feels like we’re bringing something to fruition,” said Wendy Luft. “It’s exciting, it’s a feel-good thing. He’s making a difference and it’s starting this week.”

Wendy added she will be even more excited when she see the numbers for organ donors start to rise.

“That’s what we’re looking to see,” she said.

“Logan’s Law” is named in honor of the Luft’s son, Logan, who was 15 years old when he died due to injuries after an ATV accident in of July 2017. The law will let Iowans have a symbol put on their hunting and fishing licenses indicating they wish to be an organ donor.

Logan was an avid outdoorsman, and had expressed interest in organ donation while he was alive. Through organ donation, he has gifted five organs and 21 tissue donations to recipients in nine states.

The Lufts actively lobbied for the bill’s passage. Lenny Luft is a Charles City police officer and Wendy Luft is a local real estate broker.

“Today is such a great feeling of accomplishment,” the Luft family said in released statement. “Logan was an amazing young man who spent every free chance he had enjoying the outdoors. From fishing to hunting he worked to perfect his skills every chance he had.”

Wendy said the educational component to the new law is as important as the organ donation component.

The law requires the Iowa DNR to include organ donor information in hunting safety courses and to provide the designation of organ donor on hunting and fishing license applications. Anyone at least age 14 may check an organ donor box with a parent’s signature.

“This is a great way to educate those families,” she said. “The educational aspect of the law was just so important to us.”

The DNR recently sent a film crew to work with the Luft family and put together training videos that will be used with the hunter safety course. Wendy said the Lufts sat down with that video crew and shared Logan’s story. That video will be a component of the classroom study.

“Every person who goes through a hunter safety education course will be exposed to that video,” Wendy said. “It’s kind of neat to know that every young person who goes through that process will hear Logan’s story.”

The video footage will also be used as part of a DNR media push to increase awareness of Logan’s Law and organ donation in general.

“Our family is honored to be a part of that,” Wendy said. “Today is a great day to honor our son. We couldn’t be more proud.”