Joint Blood Drive and Bone-Marrow Registry

The Puget Sound Blood Center is sponsoring a joint blood drive and bone-marrow registry on Friday, Aug. 18, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N.
The event will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 to 3 p.m. in the East/West Conference Rooms of the Thomas Clinical Research Building.
Thousands of people with life-threatening illnesses are awaiting marrow or stem-cell transplants; about 70 percent do not have a genetically matched family member who can donate for them. Because tissue types are inherited, patients are most likely to find a match within their own ethnic or racial group. Only a small percentage of registrants are people of color.
For persons of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, multi-racial or Native American), there is no charge to register. Caucasian donors are asked to contribute a $52 tax-deductible donation to cover their tissue-type testing. Donors do not need to pay on the day of the drive. A program employee will contact the donor with payment options.
To join the registry, participants must first complete paperwork detailing their contact information and health history. The 10-minute screening involves a cheek swab. Participants do not need to donate blood or have an appointment to join the bone-marrow registry.
To receive a marrow-registry application (to be filled out in advance and brought to the drive), call Kristen Woodward, blood-drive coordinator, 206-667-5095, or e-mail kwoodwar@fhcrc.org.
To schedule a specific time for donating blood during this drive, visit www.psbc.org/programs.drive.asp.