We are officially kicking off our Second Annual Swab-a-thon. I want to thank everyone again for your extremely generous support last year. Because of you we raised over $20,000 and added more than 300 new potential donors to the registry, with one of the individuals already being a match for a 52 year old woman battling leukemia!

We are hoping for similar success this year. Between now and Labor Day we hope to add 350 potential donors to the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry and raise over $20,000 to cover the cost of processing registrants (as a reminder each kit costs $54 to process). I am also excited to inform you that for this year's swab-a-thon, an anonymous generous donor has agreed to match the money raised dollar for dollar up to our goal of $20,000. That means if we are able to hit our goal we will raise $40,000, which equates to potentially saving more than 700 lives!!!

As a reminder, the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation is a national Jewish bone marrow registry which matches cancer patients with bone marrow donors. Gift of Life has only one purpose: to help save lives. It is my hope that I can continue to make a significant impact in helping grow the Gift of Life footprint and ensure that a bone marrow transplant is an option for those who have no alternative treatment to battle cancer.

I am reaching out to everyone because I truly believe this is an extremely important and effective way of saving lives. Despite this success, we still have a long way to go. Some 30 percent of patients eligible for a transplant are unable to find a suitable donor, and the need is growing. Our vision for the future is simple: a match, anytime, anywhere, for anyone. With your continued support, we will achieve this goal. There are two ways that you can help: (1) make a donation towards funding the processing costs of new potential donors or (2) become a member of the registry by having your mouth swabbed (see below for details).

Thank you for your support!

Jason