DKMS, the world’s largest marrow donor center and Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHS), which recently set a Guinness record for the highest concert recorded on land, are teaming up with the Crocs Next Step Campus Tour to register marrow donors at college campuses across the United States to give more hope to patients battling life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. Registering to become part of the national marrow database simply requires a completion of a brief registration form and a cheek swab.
More than 820,000 Americans live with leukemia, lymphoma or other blood cancers. Every five minutes someone is diagnosed and every ten minutes someone dies. For many patients, a transplant may be the best — and only — hope for a cure. With the help of college students, DKMS and LHS are working to help save lives.
The tour, which features headliners Yung Joc and Cartel, will hit 12 college campuses across the US beginning August 29th at the University of Nevada. The tour will make stops in Georgia, Florida, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia before wrapping up at the University of Arizona on September 26th.
“Only two out of ten patients will receive the transplant that can save their life,” said Katharina Harf, EVP, DKMS Americas. “Through this initiative, we hope to register as many marrow donors as possible and add them to the national Registry so more patients have a fair chance at finding a donor match, while dispelling the myths that marrow donation, if identified as a match, is risky and painful.”
DKMS and LOVE HOPE STRENGTH aim to set a world record for most marrow donor registrations at a music event.
“The reason we are going to campuses is because students often have the most passion for making a difference but are usually getting by on a shoestring budget” said Love Hope Strength Executive Director, Shannon Foley. “It is also very important to bring younger people into this process because the younger they get involved, the more likely they are to help save a life. Thanks to DKMS, we are giving students a free way to make a real difference while increasing the odds for those searching for a donor match.”
Students can stop by the Love Hope Strength Foundation booth to register to become a marrow donor and learn more about the world’s primary cause of death and other ways that they can help make a difference in global cancer care. Love Hope Strength will also be accepting names for a prayer flag that will be hiked to Machu Picchu, Peru as part of the largest cancer awareness event in Peruvian history.
To learn more about the eligibility requirements to become a marrow donor and the commitment involved, please contact DKMS at 1.866.340.DKMS (3567) or send an e-mail to info(at)dkmsamericas.org.
About DKMS
DKMS is the world’s largest marrow donor center with over 1.7 million registered marrow donors. Since its founding in Germany in 1991, DKMS has facilitated more than 14,000 transplants.The mission of DKMS is to give every blood cancer patient a second chance at life by recruiting marrow donors from every race and ethnicity. We inspire hope and healing by matching our donors with patients around the world in need of a marrow transplant. DKMS Americas is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization.
For more information about DKMS, please visit www.dkmsamericas.org or contact Maria La Gamba at maria(at)dkmsamericas.org
About the Love Hope Strength Foundation
Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHS) is an international charity with chapters in the US, UK and Australia. Founded by leukemia survivors Mike Peters of the Welsh rock band the Alarm and President of CSI Entertainment James Chippendale, who is a bone marrow transplant recipient, LHS has the goal of using musical venues to raise awareness and provide all cancer patients with the same opportunities that they had, including access to information, quality cancer treatment and the best medication available. www.LoveHopeStrength.org
To start a Love Hope Strength chapter on a college campus or for more information on the Love Hope Strength: Contact Shannon Woosley by email: Woosley(at)LoveHopeStrength.com
Contact: Jason Damata 917-279-8706 jason(at)FabricMedia(dot)net
