WASHINGTON - For the third-straight year, the Georgetown University football team will be partnering with Be The Match to sponsor a "Get In The Game, Save A Life" (GITG) bone marrow registry drive on Wednesday, April 24. The drive, which is open to the public, will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Georgetown's campus.
 
Players and coaches from the football program will be joined by members of other Georgetown athletics programs as well as the GU community to run registration stations at three on-campus locations. Applicants can register in the Leavey Center, The Healy Family Center or in Red Square.
 
"We are extremely excited to again team with Be The Match and the Georgetown community to host this drive for the third-straight year," Georgetown Defensive Coordinator Kevin Doherty said. "We want to build on the success we had each of the past two years so please consider registering and help us create awareness about blood cancers. Registering is easier than ever – you just need a phone and five minutes of your time and together we have the unique opportunity to truly save a life."
 
This is the third-consecutive year that the football team has worked with Be The Match, as the Hoyas have hosted successful bone marrow registry drives each of the last two springs. In 2017, the Hoyas blew past their goal, registering 263 potential donors, many of whom were Georgetown student-athletes and coaches, to the national bone marrow registry. Overall, over two years Georgetown has registered 422 new members.
 
There is a new step to registration this year as potential donors can simply text GTOWNSAVES to 61474. Or, with a mobile phone, people can scan a QR code at any one of the three locations on Wednesday, April 24. A packet, including a cheek swab will be mailed with return postage. Once returned, the individual will become a member of the National Marrow Donor Program Be The Match registry. A person must be between the ages of 18 and 44, meet the health guidelines and be willing to donate to any patient in need. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical. If you match, most donations are done through an automated blood donation - no surgery needed.
 
The Be The Match registry has been fostered by former Villanova Head Coach Andy Talley, who has dedicated more than 20 years to raising awareness about the need for marrow donors. He has recruited thousands of members to the registry by encouraging his football team and their friends to join. Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the Be The Match registry to find a match and Talley's aim is to increase the likelihood that all patients receive the life-saving transplants they need.