When Arlen Wolf went to the hospital for bypass surgery in 2003, he never expected to wake up eight days later with a new heart.

But it's lucky he did. When doctors couldn't restart his heart, they decided he needed a new one, and a donor heart happened to become available.

"He had no chance, but because of the donation ... we've watched all three of our kids get married, and we've had two grandsons and are about to have our third," said Wolf's wife, Denece, of Salt Lake City. "We have had a chance to share life."

The Wolfs were among nearly 100 people who showed up at Liberty Park on Saturday to promote organ donation as part of the Donate Life Utah 2009 9K run and nine-tenths-of-a-mile walk, sponsored by The Quest for the Gift of Life Foundation. Organizers used the number nine because that's how many lives one organ donor can save.

The event also likely broke a Guinness World Record for getting the most people to sign up to become organ donors in one day.

Nationwide, about 103,000 people now are waiting for an organ transplant, including more than 600 who are 5 years old or younger, according to the Utah Donor Registry. An average of 18 patients die each day waiting for an organ to become available.

"It's a great way to raise awareness because we've had situations with a lot of friends whose children or family passed away because they didn't get an organ in time," said Shauntelle Stephenson of Bountiful. Stephenson's own daughter, Kaidence, was only a few days away from death when she received a heart transplant in 2007, her mother said.

"It's overwhelming to think someone would be willing to give to our family when they're brokenhearted," Shauntelle said.

Kaidence, now 2 years old, was supposed to lead the walk Saturday, but her tiny legs just weren't fast enough. Instead, wearing an oversized T-shirt and pink mittens, she and her family walked at the back of the group. For every race participant, $5 was donated in honor of Kaidence to the Intermountain Healing Hearts organization.

As of late Saturday morning, event organizers had already signed up 203 people to become donors, breaking the previous Guinness record of 142 in one day.

"What better thing can you do than to give someone else an opportunity if your light's out?" John Bozung of Orem said as he signed up at the park Saturday.

Mallory Wahlstrom, who works with The Quest for the Gift of Life Foundation and Intermountain Donor Services, said people often don't realize the importance of becoming donors until it becomes personal. She said she didn't sign up to become a donor when she got her driver's license at 16 because she was squeamish about the idea. But when her brother needed a kidney this August, she donated her own to him without hesitation.

Now, she has signed up to become an organ donor after life, as well.

"With your passing you're helping other people live, and I think that's a miracle in and of itself," Wahlstrom said.

lschencker@sltrib.com