Newsroom

CORVALLIS - Oregon State University is hosting a bone marrow registration drive Jan. 19-20 in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

On Wednesday, Jan. 19, blood sampling will be done from noon to 6 p.m. Hours on Thursday, Jan. 20, are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free bone marrow education sessions for potential donors are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 7, and Thursday, Jan. 13, in OSU's Memorial Union Student Lounge.

OSU's third annual Bone Marrow Registration Drive is focused on increasing minority registration to increase the odds of finding donors for patients in need of bone marrow transplants.

Testing is funded by the federal government and there is no charge for ethnic minorities who volunteer for the drive. For all others, the fee is $25 per person, although fees will be waived for the first 150 donors.

For information, contact Gina Miller at 541-908-0991 or [email protected]. For information on the National Marrow Donor Program, visit the website at www.marrow.org.

The sampling will be done by staff from the American Red Cross Marrow Donor Services, who will take about a half-teaspoon of blood from people who wish to register as potential donors. Many potential donors will never be called to donate bone marrow, but since the blood typing results remain in the NMDP registry until the volunteer is 61 years old, registering is a long-time commitment. When identified as a match for a patient, the potential donor will be asked if they are willing to donate.

The drive is hosted by Student Health Services, the Office of Community and Diversity and the Healthy Student Leadership Council.