I won't be able to make it to Denvention this year. At first I wasn't sure if I could swing it, but when I decided I really wanted to do it, life got in the way.

I recently mentioned that science fiction, comic and animation fans have been doing a lot to help raise awareness about bone marrow and stem cell donation. For those of you who will be attending the 66th World Science Fiction convention in Denver this week, I would like to direct your attention to these items:

Robert A. Heinlein Memorial Blood Drive (Friday, August 8). You can find out more on the web page and even make an appointment in advance. For those of you reading this who do not know this late science fiction Grand Master, he popularized the term, "Pay It Forward." He believed instead of paying debts back, you could go out and do something equally good for someone else. Incidentally, Emru introduced me to RAH's work when we were kids. Like Heinlein, Emru needed blood when he fell ill - I think it's around 40 times since December.

Heal Emru stickers, flyers and buttons will be available to promote bone marrow and stem cell donation and registration: I would hand these out myself if I were present. Please pick a sticker up at the Anticipation table or a promotional table and consider placing it on your badge and telling your friends where you got it. If you need more information, consult the back of the flyer that should be lurking close by. Emru recently found a match - with lots of help, including fandom's - but over 16000 people are hoping to get the same chance and not all will.

Another great cause that has been garnering a lot of support: Match It For Pratchett folks may have a donation jar at the WesterCon 62/NA Discworld table in the fan table area during the convention. Remember, you can donate every day by just going to the website or contacting your country's leading charity dedicated to Alzheimer's research.

Many fans have big hearts, but this year I have seen it in action more than ever from a very personal level. So to anyone who reads this who is considering one or more of these suggestions, runs charity or awareness-raising events at your local convention, or just does something to help another person out at other times of the year: thank you.

Have a fantastic five days.

Do you have any good causes you know about at the convention? Let me know and I will update this message!

Labels: blood drive, Colorado, conventions, flyers, US

USA - SheKnows, Save Giovanni and DKMS Americas team up to recruit 50000 new registrants - 15000 registrants, and 14 matches later, the Save Giovanni campaign embarks on a new campaign to recruit more potential donors by next year.

Southern California - The Battle Rages On - Chase Crawford-Quickel finds out he has a rare blood cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma, and gets a stem cell transplant for the second time in his young life. A well-written account, which includes a brief summary of both methods of donation.

"Chase,a wiry young man with a dry sense of humor, says he is willing to tell his story only in order to raise awareness about bone marrow transplants."

Birmingham, UK - Firefighter's Donor Search in Leukaemia Battle and Bone Marrow Donors Could Help Little Alishba - Two people are looking for a matching donor. While no one is guaranteed a match, Alishba is South Asian and may face a more difficult search.

"Even if none of the donors my mates encourage to come forward is a perfect match for me, they could serve to save someone else's life."

Labels: Anthony Nolan Trust, California, DKMS, minority donors, UK, US

From the Main Street News:

As Booth receives what may be a life-saving transplant of bone marrow Thursday, July 3, they’ll be holding a blood drive in his honor at New Hope Baptist Church.
The American Red Cross blood drive, set from 2:00 p.m. to 8 p.m., has two purposes. One is to honor Booth while helping the Red Cross meet its blood needs. The other is to raise awareness of the National Bone Marrow Registry that helped Booth find a donor.

“They will just test people with a mouth swab and see if they’re interested in donating bone marrow,” said Stowers, who added that there is no charge for the screening.

“We hope to have at least 50 people,” said Stowers. “Of that, I would expect 35 to be able to donate. I’d like to shoot for a hundred. You don’t have to be able to donate blood to be a bone marrow donor, and people could make a donation to the Red Cross or sign up for the bone marrow registry.”

New Hope Baptist Church is located at 211 Stapler Drive, at the corner of U.S. 441 and Old Kings Bridge Road a mile south of Benton Elementary School.

Labels: bone marrow donor clinic, bone marrow drives, Georgia, US

I got this a little late. From the Press-Telegram:

[Krissy] Kobata's rare condition is compounded by the lack of a bone-marrow match, which doctors say is now an urgent need. Kobata's family is of mixed heritage - Japanese and Caucasian - which has made it more difficult for her to find a donor match. Kobata's brother, her only sibling, is not a match.

Kobata's family and the Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches, an affiliate of the National Marrow Donor Program, have arranged for bone-marrow drives in Los Angeles County, including Long Beach.

The only drive that hasn't passed a yet is this one:

Southeast Japanese School and Cultural Center, 14615 Gridley Road, Norwalk; July 26, 3 to 8 p.m., and July 27, 2to 6 p.m.

Labels: bone marrow donor clinic, bone marrow drives, California, US

Pat Pedraja is a young man on a mission. Pat is seeking to educate people about the bone marrow registry and register more people, especially minority donors. In Canada, it is free to register. In the US, if it is free, it is because someone else paid for the typing costs already. Someone contributed money or raised a lot of funds to ensure people would be able to register.

Unlike Canada, the US runs bone marrow drives, which are a proven method for recruiting a large number of people and diversifying the registry. Pat pledged to recruit 2007 people for 2007, and ended up recruiting over 6500 people in over 30 US cities in 3 months. This year, he is back on the road again, driving for donors.

Pat does not require a donor, but this 13-year-old 2007 CNN Hero has lived with leukemia since he was 10 years old. Pat writes:

Your vote will make a difference!
HI, it's Pat from Driving For Donors!

I need your votes for these 2 awards. To me it's about more than winning a contest, it's about saving lives! I have registered over 10,000 new marrow donors and helped find 4 life saving matches for people in need! The more people that hear about my work and register as marrow donors the more lives we can save!

I need the help of adults and kids too! Can you please take a minute to vote and pass this on to everyone you know so they can help me as well!
Teen Choice / Do Something Award voting is for 13 to 19 year olds so (if YOU'RE NOT) please forward this to your kids and ask them to vote! If I'm the top vote getter, I'll be on the TEEN CHOICE AWARDS (with Miley Cyrus) and receive $100,000 for Driving for Donors! That can save a lot of lives!

Vote everyday until August 1st!

CLICK HERE to vote for Pat for the Teen Choice Do Something Award!

Labels: bone marrow drives, minority donors, NMDP, US

This is Michelle. She is in her 20s, just got married and has been living with leukemia. She needs a bone marrow transplant and requires an unrelated donor. Project Michelle has helped increase her chances and highlighted the shortage of Asian donors in the registry.

So far, Project Michelle has helped register 8000 people at bone marrow drives. Why don't we do these in Canada? Someone remind me, please.

Labels: bone marrow drives, California, minority donors, NMDP, US

From hapihour.org:

WHAT: In-n-Out: The Drive to Increase Asian American Registered Bone Marrow Donors

WHEN: Saturday | June 14, 2008 | 10 am - 3 pm

WHERE: Chinese for Affirmative Action, Community Room
The Kuo Building
17 Walter U. Lum Place
San Francisco, CA 94108
COST: Free

To RSVP and to show your support, please visit our Facebook Event and/or our Evite.

Labels: bone marrow donor clinic, bone marrow drives, California, minority donors, US

From the Ledger:

In order for Liam to be cured, he needs a bone marrow transplant.

To find a match for him, Mulberry United Methodist Church will be having a blood drive/bone marrow screening from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Labels: bone marrow donor clinic, bone marrow drives, Florida, US

From the Connecticut Post:

To aid Lemos — and others in need of a transplant — the Vasco da Gama Portuguese Cultural & Civic Center, 355 James St., Bridgeport will host a bone marrow donor registration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Labels: bone marrow donor clinic, bone marrow drives, Connecticut, US

Two more Project Michelle marrow drives, courtesy of Peachies.net:

ABC Supermarket
Sat, May 31, 10am – 4pm
6970 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, CA 92683

Cerritos Farmer’s Market, Cerritos Town Center
Sat, May 31, 8am – 12pm
Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703

Labels: bone marrow donor clinic, bone marrow drives, California, US

From The Maykazine:

Project Michelle
Bone Marrow Registration Drive

Saturday May 31, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Club Sport Fremont
46650 Landing Parkway
Fremont, California 94538

Labels: bone marrow donor clinic, bone marrow drives, California, US

Here's a reminder of the bone marrow registration drives we're aware of that are coming up over the next seven days:

May 27
Isabela, Puerto Rico - Iglesia Presbiteriana de Borinquen, Clinica de Salud
Pompano Beach, Florida - Consulado Brasileiro Itinerante
San Jose, California - Price Waterhouse Coopers

May 28
Sacramento, California - APAPA Internship Event
San Mateo, California - Guideware Software
Orford, England - Tetley Walker Social Club

May 29
La Moca, Puerto Rico - Instituto de Banca de Moca
Union City, California - James Logan High School

May 30
San Diego, California - Naval Base San Diego Main Navy Exchange
San Francisco, California - Vision Shock Party

May 31
Wilminton, Delaware - Faith Baptist Church Health Fair
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Igreja San Martin of Tours, Lower Church
Jamaican, New York - Roy Wilkins Family Recreation Center
London, England - Tiger Tiger

June 1
Delran, New Jersey - Harvest English Institute
Los Angeles, California - Temple Beth Am
Cupertino, California - Good Shepherd Church
Union City, California - GRX Church-Fremont

Labels: bone marrow drives, California, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, UK, US

From the Argus:

Inspired by spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, who told people to "be the change we wish to see in the world," James Logan High School students will hold a disaster-relief fundraiser and bone marrow drive during the school's unofficial "Be the Change" Week.

While that fundraiser takes place throughout the week, junior Supada Sritanyaratana has organized a bone marrow drive for Thursday. Only staff and students over 18 can register, a process which includes using a cotton swab to collect a saliva sample from the mouth.

Because no single ethnic group makes up more than 30 percent of the population at Logan High, "I thought that Logan would be the perfect place to set up this ... drive, (given) our great diversity," Sritanyaratana said.

Labels: bone marrow drives, California, US

From InsideMedford.com:

Tufts University will host a donor registration drive for the Dana-Farber Marrow Donor Program on June 7 in honor of local baseball legend Bill Monbouqette.

The registration drive, organized by Monbouquette’s former Red Sox teammate Jerry Moses, will take place from 10AM to 6PM at Cousens Gym at Tufts, 161 College Avenue, Medford.

Labels: bone marrow drives, Massachusetts, US

From Navy Compass:

A Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive will be held on May 30 at Naval Base San Diego Main Navy Exchange, in honor of Zoe Hunter. Zoe is the daughter of IT2 (EXW) Tom Hunter a Navy Reservist, assigned to Navy Weapons Station Seal Beach, Boat Detachment 343.

That's all there is in the way of drive details, but I suspect that, like an earlier drive we mentioned held on a military base, the drive is only open to "all active duty military, their immediate dependents, DoD civilian employees, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reservists, ages 18 to 60."

Labels: bone marrow drives, California, US

From Radio Javan:

This year's event is being held on May 25th in the San Jose area to support thousands of people in need of bone marrow transplants. This drive is in honor of a young Iranian man who has been told he needs a transplant and unfortunately his family are not a match.

Drive details:
Drive Location: Campbell Community Center
Address: One West Campbell Avenue Bldg. D Room 38-39, Campbell, CA 95008 (map)
Drive Date: May 25 2008
Drive Time: 1:00PM - 6:00PM

Labels: bone marrow drives, California, US

From the YABA Blog. This event is both a blood drive and a bone marrow drive:

Please sign up today for an appointment to donate blood! (You don't need an appointment to sign up for the National Marrow Donor Registry.)

What: Blood & Bone Marrow Drive
When: Sunday 1 June 2008
Time: 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Where: Temple Beth Am - 1039 S. La Cienega Blvd., LA, 90035
RSVP: http://www.bikurcholim.net/BikurCholim/Site/Blood/appointment.asp?m=15

Labels: bone marrow drives, California, US

From the Free Lance-Star:

Former James Monroe basketball standout Cedric Hopkins is still in need of a bone-marrow transplant.

No match was found for Hopkins among the 125 potential donors who showed up for the bone-marrow drive that was held last month at the Dorothy Hart Community Center in Fredericksburg, according to his mother, Maggie Hopkins.

A new drive will be held on Saturday at the Mayfield Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Labels: bone marrow drives, US, Virginia

Here's a reminder of the bone marrow registration drives we're aware of that are coming up over the next seven days:

May 20
Kent, England - Princes Plain Primary School

May 23
Providence, Rhode Island - MET School
Longmont, Colorado - Longmont United Hospital

May 24
Brooklyn, New York - St. Augustine Episcopal Church
Katonah, New York - Katonah Village Library
York, Pennsylvania - YMCA Community Center

May 25
Jamestown, Rhode Island - Portuguese Hall

Labels: bone marrow drives, Colorado, New York, Rhode Island, UK, US

Registration at this event is free for minorities. From the York Daily Record/Sunday News:

Minorities between ages 18 and 60 are needed for the National Marrow Donor Program and can be screened at a bone marrow drive 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the YMCA Community Center, 452 N. Beaver St. in York.

Labels: bone marrow drives, free registration, minority donors, Pennsylvania, US

From the Concord Monitor:

During Bike Week, from June 14 to 22, there will be a week-long bone marrow drive in Laconia sponsored by 10 radio stations and organized by Guglielmo and by Jim Fronk of the radio station The Hawk. The drive will be held at Sparkle Clean Car Wash on Route 11 on the side of Paugus Bay, in a trailer dubbed the "Save A Life Trailer." Another location will be set up in a tent at Thurston's Marina next to the Hawk RV.

Labels: bone marrow drives, New Hampshire, US

Here's another way to get registrants and monetary donations for the National Marrow Donor Program: Throw a party! It all goes down tonight in Portland, Oregon. From The Portland Mercury:

Live music! Beer! Helping sick kids!

I think there’s gonna be a silent auction, as well as live music from Red Ray Frazier, Invisible Rockets, Blue Horns, Henry Dark, and Jesse Young and Friends. And did I mention helping sick kids, and beer?

Green Dragon Pub and Bistro, 928 SE 9th, Sunday May 18, 3 pm-11 pm or so.

Labels: bone marrow drives, free registration, NMDP, Oregon, US

From Lend a Hand, Inc.:

What: Bone Marrow Drive 1: HELP SAVE MICHELLE!
When: SATURDAY and SUNDAY, May 17 and 18, 2008
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m
Location #1: Hong Kong 4 City Mall (11201 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX)

What: Bone Marrow Drive 2: HELP SAVE MICHELLE!
When: Sunday, May 18, 2008
Time: 9:30 AM-11:30 AM
Location #2: Nha Tho Cac Thanh Tu Dao (10610 Kingspoint Rd, Houston, TX 77075)

"Project Michelle" (www.projectmichelle.com) wants to increase the number of Asians registered in the bone marrow registry. Their goal is to enroll 15,000 Asians. Her match is most likely to come from a person of Asian descent, however, very few Asians are actually in the registry and this makes it very difficult for doctors to find them a match. This is why we need your help.

Labels: bone marrow drives, minority donors, Texas, US

The Thanks Mom event is winding to a close. While it's generally possible to find free or reduced-cost registration year-round, it's never quite as easy as during this event. From the Bastrop Daily Enterprise:

The International Paper Company in conjunction with Morehouse General Hospital are joining together to hold a bone marrow drive called the Thanks Mom Campaign from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 19 at the Louisiana Mill Learning Center.

Labels: bone marrow drives, free registration, Louisiana, NMDP, US

Just got word of six drives happening in NYC over the next five weeks:

May 17
Eastchester Playground
Adjacent from 1219 Adee Avenue
Bronx, NY 10407
917.498.1695

May 24
St. Augustine Episcopal Church
4301 Ave. D
Brooklyn, NY 11203
718.629.0959

May 29
Fraternal New York State Troopers
911 West John Street
Hickville, NY 11801
917.593.4174

May 31
National Women's Health Awareness Day
Roy Wilkins Family Recreation Center
Baisley Blvd & 177th Street
Jamaica, NY 11434
718.712.0873

June 7
Powerful Praise Tabernacle
708-710 Myrtle Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
718.422.1170

June 22
Church of St. Marks
1346 President Street
Brooklyn, NY 11213
718.756.6607

Labels: bone marrow drives, New York, US

From the Longmont Times-Call:

Local residents can join for free during the second annual “thanks mom” Marrow Donor Drive, from 4 to 8 p.m May 23 at Longmont United Hospital. Normally, it costs $52 to join, according to the National Marrow Donor Program.

Labels: bone marrow drives, Colorado, free registration, US

From News10.net:

Bloodsource will hold another bone-marrow drive on Friday, May 16 at Kaiser Hospital in Roseville at 1600 Eureka Rd., from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Labels: bone marrow drives, California, free registration, US

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

From 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Loyola Center for Health and Fitness in Maywood, the National Marrow Donor Program will hold a bone-marrow drive on behalf of Kim and several others. It's part of a national effort called "Thanks Mom Donor Drive."

Labels: bone marrow drives, free registration, Illinois, US

From The Greenville News:

When Katie-Belle Cooley of Greenville was diagnosed with infant leukemia at the tender age of 8 1/2 months, her mom knew she would need to take action. Karen Cooley enlisted the help of family, friends, and the National Marrow Donor Program to help add volunteers to the national bone marrow donor registry. Their efforts culminate on Saturday, May 17th at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church located at 3710 Augusta Road from 10am until 4pm.

Labels: bone marrow drives, free registration, South Carolina, US

From the Connecticut Post:

Forget blood drives. Joseph A. Foran High School's Interact Club is going deeper with an effort to get bone marrow donors.

The club will sponsor the marrow drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Masonic Hall, 59 Broad St., in affiliation with the National Marrow Donor Program. Interact President Paul Wydra III, a senior at Foran, said it normally costs $60 per person to join the registry, but a special "Thanks Mom" promotion during the month of May means it's free.

Labels: bone marrow drives, Connecticut, free registration, US

Here's a reminder of the bone marrow drives coming up over the next seven days. Many of these drives are free, as part of the National Marrow Donor Program's "Thanks Mom" event.

May 12
Columbus, Ohio - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Syracuse, New York - Boys & Girls Club
Sacramento, California - UC Davis Cancer Center
Kansas City, Missouri - Children’s Mercy Hospital
North Plainfield, New Jersey - Vermeule Community Center
Shoreview, Minnesota - Turtle Lake School
Rutland, Vermont - Alderman's Chevrolet

May 13
North Scituate, Rhode Island - Ponaganset Middle School
Hopkins, Minnesota - Shepherd of the Hill Church
Hannibal, Missouri - Cary Cancer Center
Manchester, Vermont - Manchester Rescue
Fair Haven, Vermont - Fair Haven Union High School

May 14
Providence, Rhode Island - Hasbro Children's Hospital
Madison, Alabama - Dublin Park

May 15
Jeffersonville, New York - St. George's Church
Liberty, New York - Liberty High School
Kansas City, Missouri - St. Charles Borromeo Parish
Minneapolis, Minnesota - Nicollet Mall Farmers Market
Middlebury, Vermont - Porter Medical Center
Huddersfield, England - Newsome South Methodist Church Hall

May 16
Rome, Georgia - Redmond Regional Medical Center
Stony Brook, New York - Stony Brook University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Pittsford, Vermont - Vermont Police Academy

May 17
Central Falls, Rhode Island - Wyatt Detention Facility’s Training Center
Springield, Pennsylvania - Springfield Township High School
Townshend, Vermont - Grace Cottage Hospital

May 18
Mount Holly, Vermont - Mount Holly Rescue Fair
Parkville, Missouri - St. Therese Parish
Kansas City, Missouri - Temple B’nai Jehudah
Kansas City, Missouri - Christ Church
St. Paul, Minnesota - St. Andrew's Lutheran Church
St. Paul, Minnesota - St. George Greek Orthodox Church

Labels: Alabama, bone marrow drives, California, free registration, Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, UK, US, Vermont

From MyCentralJersey.com:

From 1:30 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Vermeule Community Center, 301 Clinton Ave., the North Plainfield Policemen's Benevolant Assocation and International Association of Firefighters in conjunction with the HLA Registry and Community Blood Services will hold a blood and bone marrow donor registry drive.

Appointments are available every 15 minutes during the entire event. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Labels: bone marrow drives, free registration, New Jersey, US

From the Star Tribune:

2:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Turtle Lake School, 1141 Lepak Court, Shoreview

5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Shepherd of the Hill Church, 500 Blake Road S., Hopkins

11 a.m.-3p.m. Thursday, Nicollet Mall Farmers Market, Minneapolis

9 a.m.-12p.m. May 18, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, St. Paul

Noon-2 p.m. May 18, St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Av., St. Paul

11 a.m.-3 p.m. May 19, Broadway Ridge building, 3001 Broadway St. NE., Minneapolis

Labels: bone marrow drives, free registration, Minnesota, US

The National Marrow Donor Program's Thanks Mom event also features a page called The Donor Garden. You can add your photo to a collage of people who have registered, know a loved one who is waiting for or received a transplant, or if you have been a donor or recipient. My ID is 100249.

Add your name to the garden.

Labels: bone marrow drives, donor stories, free registration, NMDP, personal appeal, US

Mother's Day is a time to reflect on how important our mothers are and to celebrate them. Giving life is a powerful experience and the bond between a mother and child are not to be underestimated. Now try to magine the gift a mother receives when she learns that her critically ill child has a second chance at life. Or how a child fe