To help more patients in need of a marrow transplant, Be The Match Foundation^SM has opened its first regional office in Atlanta.

Each year, 10,000 patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other life-threatening diseases discover they need a marrow transplant but have no donor match in their family. Be The Match Foundation raises funds to help these patients find an unrelated donor and receive the treatment they need.

“Atlanta’s diverse and growing population, combined with a strong corporate and philanthropic presence, creates an ideal environment for engaging people in our life-saving mission,” said Tiffany Friesen, director of the Be The Match Foundation Atlanta office.

The foundation supports the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) which operates Be The Match Registry®, the largest and most diverse registry of potential marrow donors and umbilical cord blood units in the world. With 7 million members, patients depend on this registry to find a donor match and a second chance at life.

The foundation works with compassionate individuals, families, corporations, and foundations to raise funds and support three crucial areas:

• Adding more potential donors to the Be The Match Registry, increasing the chances that more patients find their match.
• Providing financial assistance for patients who need help with uninsured transplant costs.
• Funding transplant research to help more patients live longer and healthier lives.

The foundation plans to open more regional offices across the country, to encourage local residents and businesses to participate in this unique opportunity to help save lives.

Friesen joins the Be The Match Foundation Atlanta office as director and will lead the new office as it establishes itself in the Atlanta market. She has more than 14 years of experience in public-private partnerships. Her career spans consulting for nonprofits, public education and the arts, as well as work with Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and most recently as campaign manager in the 2009 Mayoral Race.

Carisa Hettich joins Friesen and is the development program coordinator for the Be The Match Foundation Atlanta office. She has five years of nonprofit experience, primarily in volunteer management, special event planning, corporate engagement, casework and databases. Hettich was previously with the Latin American Association (LAA) in Atlanta. Three additional staff members are responsible for recruiting volunteers to the Be The Match Registry. 

“We are very excited to have Tiffany lead our new Atlanta office. The skills and relationships she brings to our organization will play an important role in bringing together a new field of support,” said Christine Fleming, president of Be The Match Foundation. “We have been supporting patients in Georgia for many years, and now we’re able to provide additional opportunities for Georgia residents and businesses to become involved in our life-saving mission.”

Over the last four years, Georgia has been home to 673 unrelated marrow or cord blood transplants. There are 125 patients in Georgia currently searching for an unrelated marrow donor.

For more information, visit BeTheMatchFoundation.org or call 404-377-4430 in Atlanta.

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About Be The Match Foundation

Be The Match Foundation raises funds to help patients who need an unrelated marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant find a donor and receive the treatment they need. It supports the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) which operates Be The Match Registry, the largest and most diverse registry of potential marrow donors and cord blood units in the world. Be The Match Foundation works with individuals, corporations, other foundations and community groups to raise funds that support three crucial areas: growing the Be The Match Registry to increase the chances that more patients find their match; providing financial grants to patients who need help with treatment costs; and funding transplant research to help more patients live longer, healthier lives. For more information, visit BeTheMatchFoundation.org or call 1 (800) 507-5427.