Andrew and Jake met at their synagogue, Temple Emanuel, in Andover, MA. Upon meeting, the boys discovered they had something important in common: both wanted to hold bone marrow donor drives to make a difference by fulfilling the mitzvot of Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) for their mitzvah project. Andrew learned about donor drives and Gift of Life through a pamphlet he saw at the Temple, while Jake had volunteered at two previous drives and met Paige, Special Projects Coordinator for Gift of Life, at an expo. She facilitated the meeting between the two boys, and a project was born.
Many synagogues encourage or require students to participate in a mitzvah project that contributes to the community and helps the less fortunate as part of becoming a Jewish adult. Jake and Andrew decided to hold not one, but two donor drives in their respective communities. This may sound daunting, but they were determined to fulfill the need they saw and help save lives. The boys carefully planned both events and started the task of promoting the drives in their communities. They posted fliers around town and the local paper in Andover wrote an article about the project, encouraging people to go out and join the registry. They even ran an announcement in their Temple’s newsletter informing members of the synagogue about their Mitzvah project. Jake and Andrew also appeared in front of the town board to present their idea of holding donor drives at community events.
The first drive was held on May 22nd at the Sheep Shearing Festival in North Andover; they spent 8 hours encouraging people to “shear a sheep, swab a cheek, and save a life.” During the Fourth Annual Pancake Breakfast on July 4th in Andover, they spent four hours swabbing cheeks. Thanks to their hard work, both drives were highly successful, and a total of 134 people joined the registry.
When asked what advice they had for kids their age who want to run donor drives, their answer was simple: have a plan and buddy up. Jake and Andrew agreed that partnering up helps when dividing the work and it makes it more fun. Together, they recognized a need to help others and save lives and acted on it. Andrew said, “Hard work pays off. It feels good because I can potentially save a life!” Jake closely echoed his sentiments, and added that “Gift of Life is a great organization.”
Both boys are having their Bar Mitzvahs next year, and each has plans to continue volunteering at donor drives and registering when they turn 18. Andrew is even giving guests at his Bar Mitzvah party a chance to join the registry by having a table where people can get swabbed. If you would like more information about how your family can sponsor its own Mitzvah project for Gift of Life, contact Paige LaMarche at plamarche@giftoflife.org or 800-9MARROW.