The Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation finished its Northeastern Walks this year with two incredible donor/recipient meetings.

During the Second Annual New Jersey Walk for Life on Sunday, October 6th, 2013, participants had the chance to witness transplant recipient Jeff meet his donor Nicole and stand before the crowd with over a dozen other proud donors and recipients. The event brought together families that would not have otherwise been joined if it was not for their life-saving matches. The pair led the Walk with their spouses not far behind deep in conversation.  The light drizzle that lasted throughout the day did not deter participants as they ran, walked, and enjoyed the beautiful view around the 5k path in Van Saun Park. 

Transplant recipient, James Azarian, and his team not only raised over $6,000 but also put together an incredible raffle that included a TV, iPad, and a money tree. The raffle alone brought in $4,000. James is no stranger to Gift of Life, before his wonderful work for the Walk, James ran drives and tested over 500 new potential donors. A team from Congregation Ahavat Achim, led by Arnold Spier raised over $20,000 for Gift of Life. The team was formed on behalf of Ezra Fineman, a 4-year-old transplant recipient with Hyper IgM Syndrome.

The New Jersey Walk for Life was formed in memory of Mel Cohen, a beloved and respected resident of New Jersey who had been diagnosed with MDS a number of years ago. During the extra 4.5 years of life Mel was given as a result of the transplant facilitated by Gift of Life, he tirelessly ran drives and educated his community on the importance of donating. Mel’s wife, Sandy, brought her team, Sandy 4 Mel, and walked alongside other survivors and supporters. Sandy 4 Mel raised over $15,000 to use towards processing swab kits and add new donors to the registry.

The following week, Gift of Life’s first annual New York Walk for Life took place at Long Island’s Eisenhower Park on October 13th, 2013. The transplant recipient made the hearts’ of the crowd melt as he approached the stage. Six-year-old Preston was accompanied by his parents, little brother, two sets of grandparents and one great-grandmother. Donor Jennifer, a mother of three, was excited to finally meet the little guy. After the Walk, the families spent the afternoon in New York City getting to know each other.

Together, the Walk for Life events raised in excess of $86,000, the net proceeds of which will be used to add new donors to the Gift of Life bone marrow registry and give more people the chance to save the life of a stranger. Walk for Life events help bring communities together in order to give people around the world a second chance at life. Help Gift of Life give the gift of life by supporting our Walks.

To become part of a Walk committee or volunteer at a Walk contact Marti at mfreund@giftoflife.org.