From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – The Valley City State University football program is partnering with former Villanova head coach Andy Talley and Be The Match to help save lives by recruiting potential marrow donors.
VCSU Football will have a table set up in the Memorial Student Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30. VCSU employees, students and Valley City community members are invited to stop by and learn more about Be The Match Registry, which helps match potential marrow donors with blood cancer patients.
Every three minutes someone is diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancer. Many of these patients rely on a marrow donation to save their lives. More than 12,000 patients each year don’t have a matching marrow donor within their family. They depend on Be The Match to help find someone to give them hope for a cure.
The Get in the Game. Save a Life. program raises awareness of this need and invites students, faculty, staff, and the community to join the Be The Match Registry. To sign up as a committed registry member, people need to meet age and health guidelines and be willing to donate to any patient in need. Registration involves completing a health history form and giving a swab of cheek cells. Those of diverse racial or ethnic heritage are especially needed because donors and patients who share the same ancestry are most likely to match.
People can join the Be The Match Registry online at my.bethematch.org or by stopping at the Student Center on March 30 and visiting with Be The Match representatives and the VCSU football team.
VCSU football is one of more than 160 football and college sports teams across the nation that are participating in the program.
About Be The Match
For people with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma or other deadly diseases – a cure exists. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. People can contribute to the cure by becoming a member of the Be The Match Registry, financial contributor, or volunteer. Be The Match provides patients and their families one-on-one support, education, and guidance before, during, and after transplant.
Be The Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), a nonprofit organization that manages the Be The Match registry, educates health care professionals, and conducts research so more lives can be saved. To learn more about the cure, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2.