MAVIN Foundation
Press Release – 19 November 2001
NEWS RELEASE
19 November 2001
Contact: Yasmine Tarhouni, Director of Public Relations
Ph: 206.622.7101, Fx: 206.622.2231
MATCHMAKER’S “SECOND CHANCES SATURDAY” BONE MARROW DRIVE REGISTERS 84 PEOPLE TO NATIONAL REGISTRY
(Seattle, WA) On November 17 2001, The MAVIN Foundation’s second Matchmaker bone marrow drive registered 84 people to the National Marrow Donor Registry. The drive was part of “Second Chances Saturday” (SCS), a nationwide, month-long effort by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to recognize the efforts of local donor recruitment groups during November, which is designated “Marrow Donor Awareness Month”.
The MAVIN Foundation and Seattle SCS partner, Help Nicole, were sponsored regionally by the Puget Sound Blood Center. Together, they surpassed their goal of registering 80 people to the National Registry. This year, 30,000 people will be diagnosed with blood diseases like leukemia that are treatable with a bone marrow transplant. MatchMaker was created this year to increase the number of multiracial people on the National Marrow Donor Registry. MatchMaker’s inaugural drive on September 15, 2001 registered over 130 people across six U.S. cities.
Multiracial people represent only 1.9% of the National Registry. Fully 62% of people registered through MatchMaker drives, however, are multiracial. As the only national program committed to recruiting multiracial bone marrow donors, The MAVIN Foundation’s MatchMaker Bone Marrow Project is playing a unique role in diversifying the National Registry. According to the NMDP, diversifying the registry through multiracial and other donors of color offers the best hope of offering all patients an equal chance of finding a life saving match.
Currently, The MAVIN Foundation is actively seeking funding to make future MatchMaker activities possible. According to Project Director, Yasmine Tarhouni, MatchMaker’s future depends on the generosity of the public. “As the only program specifically targeting multiracial donors, MatchMaker is especially important. We need the support of the corporate and philanthropic communities to diversify the Registry and to keep saving lives.” Those interested in more information about sponsorship opportunities should contact the Foundation.
The Mavin Foundation is a 501-(c)(3) non-profit organization that is redefining diversity by celebrating mixed-race people and families. In 2000, nearly seven million Americans were able to check multiple races on their census forms for the first time. In cities like Seattle, San Antonio and Sacramento, nearly one in six babies born are multiracial. Mavin is committed to creating exciting projects that raise awareness of this rapidly emerging community. Our innovative projects like MAVIN magazine are providing a unique forum to increase awareness of the changing face of our multicultural society.
For more information, please visit www.mavinfoundation.org.