News Release May 02, 2007

Bonfils’ Colorado Marrow Donor Program Supports Nationwide
Thanks Mom! Marrow Drive May 7 - 21


Contact:
Julie Scott
303.361.2873
Bonfils Blood Center

DENVER (May 02, 2007) –This May 7 - 21, be part of the Thanks Mom! Marrow Donor Drive and help the National Marrow Donor Program reach its goal of recruiting 20,000 new donors during the event. Sharing the gift of life is a great way to say "Thanks, Mom" this spring.

Locally, Bonfils’ Colorado Marrow Donor Program (CMDP) will host five marrow donor recruitment drives across the Front Range from Cheyenne, Wyo. to Cañon City, Colo. in support of this national initiative. All drives are open to the public with no appointment necessary and registration is free. To register, potential donors will complete a health history and consent form and a small sample of cells will be collected, using a cheek swabbing technique, for initial testing.

Thanks Mom! Marrow Drives will be held:
Tuesday, May 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Amgen, Inc.
4000 Nelson Rd.
Longmont, CO 80503

Friday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City of Cheyenne-Kiwanis Community House
4603 Lions Park
Cheyenne, WY 82001

Tuesday, May 15 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Longmont United Hospital
1950 Mountain View Ave.
Longmont, CO 80501
4:00 PM-8:00PM

Thursday, May 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Belleview Elementary School
4851 Dayton St
Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Monday, May 21 from 2 to 6 p.m.
Garden Park High School
201 North 6th St.
Cañon City, CO 81212

People between the ages of 18 and 60 are urged to join the Registry at the Thanks Mom! drives. Each year, thousands of people in the United States are diagnosed with diseases for which a transplant could be a cure. Approximately 70 percent of patients are unable to find a donor match within their own family. Ethnically diverse patients have the greatest difficulty finding a suitable unrelated donor therefore, recruiting new and ethnically diverse donors is key to the ongoing success of the program.

The CMDP also seeks volunteers interested in coordinating ethnic-focused marrow registration drives. For more information about joining the Registry or coordinating a drive, please call 303.363.2345.

Bonfils Blood Center supplies blood to more than 200 healthcare facilities and needs to collect 4,350 blood donations weekly to meet the needs of the community and to be prepared for any unexpected events. For information about scheduling a blood donation, please visit www.bonfils.org or call (303) 363-2300.