Huge Success, reserve early for '07!  

    Kids Beating Cancer, (KBC), is the authorized Recruitment Group for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), in the State of Florida.  Each day KBC is faced with increasing challenges in carrying out their life-saving mission. Recognizing the under representation of Minority volunteers on the NMDP National Registry, KBC is dedicated to reaching out in the Hispanic and African-American Florida communities, scheduling Donor Recruitment Drives to educate on the need for and the simple process of marrow or blood stem sell donation. All it takes is a swab of cheek cells for tissue typing you and adding your results to the National Registry in hopes of one day matching a patient in need of a marrow or stem cell transplant to survive.  KBC is sensitive to culture, language and customs while meeting rigorous medical and time requirements for the children and adults who are waiting for a donor. These children and adults with  leukemia, aplastic anemia or one of the 72 different types of diseases that a marrow or stem cell transplant can cure, will die needlessly, if a donor is not found in time.  Although the National Registry has 6 million volunteers registered less than 30% are minorities, causing many minority children and adults to not find a compatible donor in time to receive the treatment of choice before their condition deteriorates.

    KBC  is faced daily with people for whom life is measured in months without transplants. KBC educates people about the simple process of donation and disbands the common myths and fears about marrow donation in our efforts to find matching donors. Although testing is complicated, sophisticated and expensive, KBC raises the funds so that a volunteer never has to pay to have his typing added to the Registry. That requires KBC to raise community dollars to fund this life-saving program. If more volunteers of diverse heritage join the National Registry by taking a simple blood test, more children and adults could receive the ultimate gift, the gift of a cure.

Steps to Host a Donor Recruitment Drive:

1. Select a date, time, and place that is easily accessible to the targeted audience, allowing enough time to inform your targeted audience.
2. Determine methods of getting information out to the targeted audience;  such as an employee newsletter, church bulletin, monthly meetings, employee presentation, payroll inserts, and posting flyers and posters.
3. Secure funding if necessary
4. Schedule time for a presentation or to view a video
5. Recruit volunteers to assist with flow and tasks at the drive
6. Email targeted audience, when appropriate, to give facts of information, point of contact for questions, to schedule a time to be tested on day of drive, and to remind attendance on the day of the drive.
7. Set up table(s) and chairs based on the number attending the drive
8. KBC will bring the medical supplies, trained staff, and paper needed to facilitate the registering and testing of willing volunteers.
9. OR schedule KBC to attend a meeting of employees or a gathering of people, KBC can pass out kits for interested volunteers to do their cheek swabing in the privacy of their homes and return the kits to KBC the next day by mail or KBC will pickup.

     Everyday the lives of healthy strong children and adults, are put on hold by the devastation of being diagnosed with life-threatening diseases whose only cure is to receive a marrow or blood stem cell transplant. Only 25-30 percent of the time will a patient find a compatible donor in the family to proceed with the treatment of choice. The moment they hear of that dreaded word 'cancer,' their lives are on a clock, ticking inexorably toward death, unless a miracle happens. That miracle is very complicated. A donor must be found of the same race, who is healthy and as young as possible. Out of millions of possible genetic combinations, that donor must match the dying victim. The donor must be informed and committed to undergo testing that is sophisticated and expensive, although there is NO COSTS to the volunteer. Finally, they must be willing to undergo a medical process of having a small amount of their marrow or blood stem cells removed, so that a perfect stranger can have a second chance at life. From the first point of contact of a potential donor in the community through the process of donation for patient in need, Kids Beating Cancer is making miracles happen. Having a second chance at life really is a miracle. KBC is in the business of making those miracles happen...... every single day. You could be the miracle a patient is praying for.  Please help through a financial donation or by joining the National Registry of willing volunteers committed to giving a little of themselves if ever called upon.♥

For more information about Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation and the National Marrow Donor Program or to set up a Marrow Recruitment Drive at your Business, Church, Club or School, or to order a testing KIT please call: (407) 894-2888 or (866) 800-HOPE