ABC11 Eyewitness News Meteorologist Issues a Challenge

Don "Big Weather" Schwenneker Commits To Shave His Head On Air If 250+ People Join "Be the Match" Bone Marrow Registry. End Quote

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) March 09, 2013 - ABC11 Eyewitness News (http://www.abc11.com) has announced that Meteorologist Don "Big Weather" Schwenneker is challenging the community to join the National Bone Marrow Transplant Registry as part of a "Be The Match" Bone Marrow drive, on Friday, March 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Streets at Southpoint. If 250 people or more join the Bone Marrow Transplant Registry at the event, Schwenneker has committed to shave his head on air during an ABC11 Eyewitness News morning broadcast.

Beyond supporting the overall cause and its efforts, ABC11 is participating in support of an ABC11 family member, Joshua Chavis, who lost his brave battle against leukemia this week, as well as Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, who recently received a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Registration will be held on Friday, March 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. near the Nordstrom entrance of The Streets at Southpoint during the "Be The Match" Bone Marrow Drive event. Registrants must be between the ages of 18 and 44 years old. For more information about the event and registration, visit bit.ly/Vy8Xz8.

ABC11 has asked that supporters become a fan of the station's Facebook page to help keep track of the number of people planning to attend and join the registry. To become a fan of the ABC11 Eyewitness News Facebook page, visit: https://www.facebook.com/ABC11.

QUOTE:
"This has been a sad week at ABC11, as one of our long-time photographers lost his son, Joshua. It is helpful for us to be able to hold this event in his honor, and we truly hope we can help other families through this effort," said ABC11 Eyewitness News Director Rob Elmore. "Don's willingness to lead the charge is admirable, and his own personal commitment to shave his head on air adds excitement to this great challenge. We look forward to registration day and hope to see members of the community come together to support this life-saving drive."

DETAILS:
Bone marrow transplant is a life-saving treatment for individuals suffering from blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, sickle cell and other life-threatening diseases. First, patients undergo chemotherapy and sometimes radiation to destroy their diseased marrow. Then a donor's healthy blood-forming cells are transplanted directly into the patient's bloodstream, where they can begin to function and multiply.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
ABC11 Eyewitness News Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/ABC11

ABC11 Eyewitness News Twitter Page:
http://twitter.com/ABC11_WTVD

ABOUT ABC11 EYEWITNESS NEWS:
ABC11 Eyewitness News provides 43 hours of local news every week, serving more than 1 million households in a 23-county area in North Carolina and Virginia. Eyewitness News also provides news, weather and sports information 24 hours a day on ABC11.com, as well as serving two additional digital channels, the HD Live Well Network on 11.2 (Time Warner Ch. 112) and the Live Well Network on 11.3 (Time Warner Ch. 113). ABC11 WTVD is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, which is home to all of The Walt Disney Company's worldwide entertainment and news television properties. For more information, go to http://www.abc11.com.

Caitlin Russell
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
caitlin ( @ ) mmipublicrelations dot com
http://twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

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