St. Louis - February 9, 2011A push is under way by the world's largest donor registry for bone marrow and umbilical cord blood to get more African-Americans involved in giving.
The National Marrow Donor Program reports that patients with diseases such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia are more likely to find a matching donor from their own race or ethnicity. However, only 7 percent of the 9 million people on the program's registry are African-American. The awareness campaign comes during Black History Month and makes two stops in the St. Louis area.
- Sunday, 1-6 p.m., St. Louis Community College at Forest Park cafeteria, 5600 Oakland Avenue.
- Monday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Southwestern Illinois College main complex building, 2500 Carlyle Avenue, Belleville.
In a promotion with Nordstrom, which is giving up to $75,000 to offset the cost of registering donors, a new website has been launched to learn more about giving: www.nordstrom.com/bhm.