Gift Of Life Marrow Registry To Host Lifesaving Events At Miami Beach Copa America Fan Fest Parties
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Special reception to be held July 13 in partnership with City of Miami Beach, The Clevelander and international artist Romero Britto to support mission to increase donor diversity.
- (1888PressRelease) July 10, 2024 - Gift of Life Marrow Registry, is excited to announce its participation in a special reception at the Copa América Fan Fest on July 13 at the Clevelander South Beach, bringing awareness and hope to people with blood cancer, inherited immune disorders and other diseases. Gift of Life has been hosting donor recruitment drives during Fan Fest parties at the hotel since the tournament began, encouraging individuals to join its registry with simple cheek swabs.
The reception, which starts at 6 p.m., will feature inspiring stories from a donor and a transplant recipient, marking the profound impact of joining the registry and saving someone's life.
Additionally, a check presentation by the Clevelander and the winning bid from a recent silent art auction, hosted in partnership with internationally renowned artist Romero Britto, will be announced. The auction, ongoing since June 20, showcases a limited-edition digital print titled "Summer", donated by Britto. All proceeds will directly benefit the registry, increasing its capacity to find matches for patients in need of stem cell and marrow transplants.
Miami Beach City Commissioner Alex Fernandez, Police Chief Wayne Jones and Fire Chief Digna Abello will lend their support by participating in the program.
“We are incredibly grateful to the City of Miami Beach, The Clevelander and Romero Britto for their generous support and to all those who participate,” said Gift of Life Marrow Registry Director Development Robyn Malek. “Every contribution and every swab helps us find matches for the thousands of patients in need, including those who face a disparity due to their racial and ethnic background.
The reception and donor drives were made possible by Gift of Life supporter Ignacio Edenburg, a husband, father, and CEO of a Florida-based hospitality company who has tirelessly worked to improve diversity in the donor registry amid his own struggles to find a match as he battles myelofibrosis.
With many ethnic groups underrepresented in the global registry, it is often difficult to find matches for many patients. For example, while 79% of the white population has the capacity to find a matching donor, only 29% of Black Americans; 48% Hispanic and Latino Americans, and 47% and Asian Americans can find a match. The factors used to match donors with patients are inherited, much like how hair and eye color are inherited from our parents and ancestors. This means the best chance of finding a match is between two people who share ethnicity or genetic heritage.
Anyone between 18 and 35 years old may join the registry by simply requesting a cheek swab kit at giftoflife.org.
About Gift of Life Marrow Registry
Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. The organization, established in 1991, is dedicated to saving lives by facilitating blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood-related diseases. The registry houses its own state-of-the-art stem cell collection center, biobank, and laboratory. To learn more about Gift of Life Marrow Registry, visit www.giftoflife.org.
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