The Blood Assurance Foundation began the By the Mile fundraising campaign for Be the Match on June 1. This family friendly campaign encourages supporters to raise funds for Be the Match by biking, skating, riding a motorcycle or boarding in the next 100 days. 100 days is a critical milestone for marrow transplant patients. Once they cross the 100-day threshold, their chances of a healthy recovery increase dramatically.
The Be the Match program for this community is funded through the Blood Assurance Foundation.
Be the Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, which manages the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world. In this area, seventy Be the Match drives were held and 1,930 donors were recruited to be on the registry in 2013. People needing marrow transplants are fighting diseases such as lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and leukemia. Most patients do not have a matching donor in their family. Every $100 raised helps add a potential donor to the registry.
To learn more about By the Mile, contact Rhonda Moore, Marrow representative at 423-752-5951 or RhondaMoore@BloodAssurance.org.