04/24/2009
SUNY Cortland head football coach Daniel MacNeill and the Dragons football team will host a bone marrow registry on Saturday, May 2, at the Alumni Ice Arena in hopes of finding potential donors.
This is the College's first year hosting the testing drive. Modeled after Villanova University's 17th annual event led by head football coach Andy Talley, it will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"The success of this event is going to be based solely on walkups," said Michael Discenza, athletics coordinator for student services. "We want to encourage as many people to come as possible."
The process to register is easy and pain-free, asserts Discenza. Volunteers only need to swab the inside of their cheek for about 30 seconds and then they join the 20 million people worldwide who are listed as potential bone marrow donors. Although this seems like a large number, only about 250 matches are found each year, making it a 1-in-80,000 chance that a registered donor will be a match.
All members of the football team will be working the event, said senior football player Dan Pitcher, who plans on registering himself.
"In preparation for the event each member of the football team has been asked to invite 10 people," said Pitcher of Cortland, N.Y. "I believe that we will get a good turn-out. Our goal is to get 500 people registered."
The College is one of 11 schools that have followed in Villanova University's footsteps with hosting a bone marrow registry event. According to Discenza, the combined goal of all schools participating is to test 5,000 people across the country to become potential bone marrow donors, a substantial increase from the 2,600 people who joined last year.
"We participate understanding the super cause and in response to good work by other colleges," MacNeill said. "We are in an attempt to give back by recognizing the precious nature of life, our blessing of health and well being. Most importantly, with a profound thought of possibly saving a life."
"I'm not sure if this will be an annual event but I don't see why it couldn't be," Pitcher said. "Hopefully the event this year will be a success and we can build on that and make it a tradition for years to come."
For more information, contact MacNeill at (607) 753-5711 or daniel.macneill@cortland.edu. Visit the Web site http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/sports/more/Villanova_Football_Bone_Marrow_Donor_Drive_Philadelphia.html for more information on Villanova University's bone marrow registry event.