Five Years of Life-Saving Swabs

Marrow Registry Drive Marks Milestone

Dickinson, in partnership with the Be the Match Registry and the collegiate Get in The Game campaign, is sponsoring its fifth-annual marrow-donor registry drive on Friday, April 14, from noon to 5 p.m. in the Holland Union Building Social Hall. The event is organized by the Dickinson football team and its coaches.

Individuals ages 18-44 are encouraged to become part of the national Be the Match Registry of potential marrow donors. The registry is searched by doctors to find suitable matches for patients—many of whom are battling cancer—and need a marrow transplant. The registration process involves paperwork and a simple cheek swab and takes about 15 minutes. According to the Be the Match Foundation, more than 14,000 patients in the U.S. are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia, for which a marrow transplant may be their best option or only hope for a cure. Seventy percent of those patients will not have a fully matching donor in their family and will rely on the Be the Match Registry to find their life-saving donor.

Dickinson’s Be the Match Registry drives, which began in 2013, have helped to add 860 individuals to the national registry, 27 of whom have been identified as potential matches and three who have gone on to donate marrow or stem cells to individuals battling life-threatening illnesses. The events also have raised nearly $30,000 for Be the Match—one of the largest amounts raised by the 65-member network of Get in The Game colleges and universities. As further evidence of Dickinson’s commitment to the marrow donor registry mission, students established a Be the Match on Campus chapter to foster yearlong support and awareness.

Those interested in joining the Be the Match Registry but unable to attend on April 14 may have a swab kit mailed to them.

Learn more

• ‘Help Support Be the Match and Dickinson Football’ - Video
• In the Game: A Driving Force
• Athletics at Dickinson
• Latest News

Published April 12, 2017