Bone Marrow Drive Set for Rio Linda Game

THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

bethematch2The Twin Rivers Unified School District will hold a bone marrow donor drive Friday at the Rio Linda High School football game.

The Rio Linda Knights will play the Foothill High School Mustangs at home. The bone marrow drive will start at 5:30 p.m.

The Twin Rivers Unified School District, BloodSource and Be The Match are hosting the event to raise awareness about the critical need for more Latinos and African Americans to volunteer as potential donors.

A bone marrow match is more likely to be found within the same ethnic group. Only 10 percent of people in the Be The Match Registry are Latino; 7 percent are African American.

This will be the second marrow drive held by the district this month. The first took place Sept. 5 during the Grant vs. Central football game in Del Paso Heights, where 25 people were added to the Be The Match Registry in a show of support for Central’s coach, Justin Garza, who is battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

A simple swab from the inside of your cheek is all it takes to determine if you are a match. You must be between the ages of 18 and 44 to register, meet the guidelines and be willing to donate to any patient in need.

For more information about BloodSource/Be The Match, contact Liz Ustick at (916) 416-5942.

Speak Your Mind