Help save lives by inviting NMDP into your classroom

The Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society is hosting an event with NMDP (formerly Be the Match) on campus at Georgia College & State University. The goal is to recruit interested students to join the national bone marrow donor registry. We are looking for opportunities on campus to maximize student participation. One of the best ways we’ve found is to present NMDP information in classroom settings, offering students the opportunity to learn about NMDP and join the registry.  Last year, we registered 182 new donors at Georgia College. We are hoping to beat that this year!  We would love your help.

If you are not familiar with NMDP, they manage the national stem cell registry, which has over 43 million donors willing to donate their blood stem cells to patients with blood cancers and blood diseases like leukemia and lymphoma. Many people are unaware that there is a cure for these types of cancers and blood diseases; it's a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find a match as it's influenced by your ethnicity. Only 30% of patients will find a match within their family; the other 70% of patients turn to NMDP for help. The ideal donors are 18-25 (although you can join the registry up until age 45), which is why NMDP partners with colleges and universities. Joining the registry takes about five minutes with a brief survey to determine eligibility and a simple cheek swab.

It is our goal as the NMDP representation on campus at GCSU to help build the registry and give hope to all searching patients. We really appreciate the opportunity to share NMDP with your classes and offer your students the opportunity to join the registry. Typically, we ask for the first or last 15 minutes of class. If you have time during any of your classes on April 1 or April 2 and would be interested in having NMDP present to your students. If you are able to help, please click the link below to sign up.

Click here to sign up.