COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce athletics in collaboration with the National Marrow Donor Program hosted "Get In the Game" as part of "Be the Match" drive at A&M-Commerce on Tuesday.
 
NMDP is a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy with a singular purpose: to save lives. On Tuesday, NMDP staff and Lion student-athletes tabled around campus collecting swabs to add to the donor match registry. Over 140 A&M-Commerce students were registered.
 
"It's always great to have our student-athletes involved in community outreach events. This one in particular allowed our student-athletes to learn about the impact of saving lives through bone marrow/blood stem cell transplantation," said Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success Haley Major. "This was something a lot of our student-athletes had never heard about, therefore not only was it an educational experience for them, they also enjoyed being able to contribute to the life-saving cause through the NMDP organization."
 
NMDP's 'Get In The Game' initiative harnesses the power of athletics to inspire individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 to join the marrow and stem cell registry. Through partnerships with sports teams and athletes, this initiative amplifies awareness and drives registration, highlighting the importance of teamwork, resilience, and community involvement in saving lives.
 
"I am honored to convey our heartfelt gratitude to A&M-Commerce for their support on campus by hosting their first-ever Get In The Game event," said NMDP's account manager Ryan Dixon. "We were able to add 147 committed donors to the registry at our first on-campus partnership with the athletic program. If any of the potential donors are ever called as a match, they will be able provide hope to patients in need and their families to give them hope for a cure and more time with their loved ones. Together, we are making a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals, embodying the spirit of hope and resilience."
 
All it takes to join the life-saving registry is a simple 10-second cheek swab. NMDP serves as a beacon of hope for individuals battling life-threatening blood disorders worldwide. Our extensive registry of volunteer donors, combined with cutting-edge research, enables us to facilitate life-saving marrow and stem cell transplants.
 

A recap video of the day can be found HERE.
 
More information about NMDP can be found at BeTheMatch.org.