Sports News: Spring 2011

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Football Team Partners to Promote Bone Marrow Donation
Get In the Game, Save A Life Program Registration drive, April 20

Bethlehem, PA — For the second straight year, the Moravian College Football Team has partnered with the Be A Match Foundation(Bone Marrow) to participate in the Get In the Game, Save A Life Program.  Members of the team will hold a registration drive at the College in Johnston Hall on Wednesday April 20, from 3:30  to 7:00 p.m.

“The goal of this partnership is to hold a drive and give everyone a chance to join the Be A Match Registry,” said Jeff Pukszyn, assistant head football coach. “Registering takes about 10 minutes. Participants complete a  simple medical history form followed by a painless cotton swabbing of the cheek.  We need people from every background so that more patients have a chance for a cure.”

The goal for the football team is for each player to sign up at least 10 people with the potential of being able to join the registry.  “Last year, we were able to add 457 people to the registry,” Pukszyn noted.  “This was the fourth highest total out of the 30 programs in the country participating in the drive. Most of the other schools being much bigger than Moravian. We have set the bar high and would like to top the number from last year at least getting to the 500 mark.”

Anyone between the ages of 18 and 60 could potentially register and have the chance to save a life. A YouTube video provides brief explanation of the National Bone Marrow Donor Program Registry.  Be a Match Foundation YouTube Video.

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and the Be The Match Foundation are nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. According to the NMDP: Every year, thousands of people of all ages are diagnosed with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases. Many of them will die unless they get a bone marrow or cord blood transplant from a matching donor. Seventy percent of people do not have a donor in their family and depend on the Be The Match Registry® to find a match to save their life. For more information, visit: http://www.marrow.org/index.html.