WASHINGTON – After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgetown University football team will welcome Be The Match "Get In The Game, Save A Life" (GITG) bone marrow registry drives back to campus for a three-day event, beginning on Tuesday, April 26.

The three-day event will be open to the public on Tuesday, April 26, Wednesday, April 27th (football), and Thursday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Football will be joined by both soccer, swimming & diving, rowing and sailing teams, as well as field hockey, softball and volleyball. Men's soccer will be participating in honor of a player's family member currently battling leukemia.

Registration stations will be set up at three on-campus locations for all participants to sign up (Leavey Center, The Healy Family Student Center or in Red Square).

"We are thrilled to bring Be The Match back to Georgetown and our campus community for the fourth time," Georgetown Defensive Coordinator Kevin Doherty said. "We are especially excited that we will be joined by several additional teams. We have had two players and one coach match and donate in previous years and with the addition of those teams joining our efforts, we are off to an even better start. Together, we have the unique opportunity to truly save lives."

This is the fourth year that the football team has worked with Be The Match, as the Hoyas hosted three successful bone marrow registry drives prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. Over the three-year timeframe, Georgetown registered nearly 600 new members.
 
To register this year, a potential donor can simply text GTOWNSAVES to 61474, or use their mobile phone to scan a QR code at any one of the three locations on all three days. After registering, a packet with a cheek swab will be mailed with return postage for individuals looking to 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.