Kerry’s journey with Gift of Life began 10 years ago when her synagogue teacher handed out a flier about a local bone marrow donor recruitment drive through Gift of Life. At the request of her Hebrew school, Kerry gave the flier to her father, Seth. He attended the drive, and with a swab of his cheek, he was entered into the national bone marrow registry. In 2009, he received the call that he was a match for a 62- year old gentleman who had been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Seth and Kerry both met the gentleman whose life was saved, and it was this moving experience that inspired her to run a donor drive at her school, Allegheny College.

On October 1, 128 people swabbed their cheeks and joined the bone marrow registry following the homecoming football game at Allegheny. The drive was a campus-wide effort; Kerry, now a senior history major, enlisted help from her campus Hillel group and advisor, the football team and their coach, and the Pre-Health Club. The partnership among the three groups had a goal of registering as many football fans as possible, and they succeeded. Students, parents, and the football team itself stepped up and joined the registry.

Kerry’s Hillel advisor, Rachel, knew to think big. When Kerry first approached her about hosting a donor drive, she suggested hosting the drive at a big event where a lot of people would be present; so, they planned the homecoming game donor drive. They built a buzz around campus through word of mouth and posted fliers. They even held a raffle to raise money to help offset the cost of processing the test kits.

The drive was a resounding success. Kerry’s parents came to support her, and those contemplating joining the registry were able to ask Seth about his donation experience, giving the drive a personal touch. Afterwards, a small reception was held for participants in the drive. Among the attendees were students, the campus Rabbi, and a professor who had been a recipient.

When asked what advice she had for other students interested in running donor drives on their college campuses, Kerry remarked, "More people will be interested in helping out than you think. Don’t be afraid to ask anyone for help and go outside your comfort zone. It’s worthwhile!" If you are interested in running your own donor drive, please contact our Recruitment Team.