April 16, 2008

PHOTO GALLERY

PHILADELPHIA-- The Temple football team took a break from spring practice on Wednesday to register more than 600 potential donors for the National Marrow Donor Program Registry at the Temple University's Howard Gittis Student Center.

To date this spring, the Owls set the regional record for donor enrollment. National results will be announced next week. Entering the day's event, Northeastern University had held the regional record with 417 donors registered.

"What an incredible day for the Temple University community as the Owls registered 630 bone marrow donor candidates!" Temple head coach Al Golden said. "Thank you to Assistant Director of Operations Ryan McNamee who did an incredible job spearheading the event, our coaches, support staff, and all of our football student-athletes who generously gave their time and effort to this wonderful cause. Furthermore, special recognition must go to Villanova coach Andy Talley who has been instrumental in bringing awareness to the marrow donor program and saving lives for the past two decades. The drive was a tremendous success on many levels, but perhaps most notably the fact that 70-75% of the donors at today's drive were represented by the minority community, which is what the National Marrow Donor Program critically needs. Lastly, we want to express our sincere appreciation to our student body for making this such a special day. We hope you will accept our invitation to enjoy free food, football, music and the beautiful weather at tomorrow's Third Annual Football Student Barbeque at Edberg-Olson Complex."

In conjunction with Fox Chase Temple, the Temple team helped donors fill out paperwork. Then each had a simple cheek swab test. No blood or needles were involved. Then everyone was treated to free food, door prizes, and conversation with the football players and staff.

In addition to members of the student body and staff, among the donors were University provost Lisa Staiano-Coico, TU Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw, and basketball head coach Fran Dunphy.

Why did you want to participate in Temple Football's Bone Marrow Drive?

DE James Namude (Potomac, Md.), Redshirt Junior
"If I can do something so simple to save lives, and all it takes is two hours of my time, walking around to get people to come, I can't really say no to that. Everybody on the team participated. We had flyers to hand out. We were supposed to get 20-30 people. Some players had hundreds of people sign up. I think this is the biggest community service project I've seen so far."

PK Jake Brownell (Thorofare, N.J.), Redshirt Junior
"This was a great chance for us to help out in the community and serve as role models. We want to get out names out there that we're willing to help people out and willing to give an extra hand. We're just really excited about this opportunity. To be able save someone's life and have the chance to do that, there's nothing better than that. That motivates me to come out here."

Assistant Coach Curtis Bray
"Obviously, we're doing this to get people on the list, but probably the bigger reason is the awareness to the community, especially on an urban campus like Temple, where it's going to affect so many people's lives."

Fran Dunphy, Temple men's basketball coach
"I've been reading about this for a number of years. I know Andy Talley started this thing many years ago out at Villanova, and I think it's great that the rest of the football community is participating in this. I'm a part of the coaching community, and anything we can do to give back to the Philadelphia athletic world, that's what we want to do. Al Golden's been such a great supporter of Temple basketball that I wanted to show our support. Anything they're behind, we want to be behind as well."

Jessica Colucci (Roxbury, N.J.), Sophomore, Public Health [Women's Lacrosse]
"I wanted to do this, because it's a great cause. I'm glad that Temple is bringing awareness to problems like this. Anything you can do to help save someone's life is definitely worth it."

Sherryta Freeman, Associate Director of Athletics
"I've never been a blood donor, so this piqued my interest, because our football was doing it. Otherwise, I probably would have never thought about doing it. I said I'll come support them, and in the process I'll do something for a good cause. Hopefully it will be worthwhile."

Lisa Staiano-Coico, University Provost
"I think it's such an important thing that we all give back. Bone marrow donation is a very simple thing, but it's so critical. So many children and adults don't have matches. It's a painless procedure. Every one of us helps the bigger community."

Joy Bender (Pennsauken, N.J.), Freshman, Nursing
"I like people, and I feel that if I'm healthy enough to help other people, then I should. People do need it."

Rene Gordon (Philadelphia, Pa.), Sophomore, Advertising Management
"I just wanted to help. I do a lot of community service and volunteer work, and this was just an addition."

Patrick Sojak (Scranton, Pa.), Freshman, Finance & Accounting
"I have a lot of friends on the football team, and they asked me to come out. I figured I would help them out by supporting a good cause."

Dwayne Greco (Wolcott, Conn.), Junior, Chemistry
"I'm actually pretty active in community service. I've donated blood in the past with the Red Cross. I saw this and saw a wonderful opportunity."

Nicholas Tini (West Chester, Pa.), Freshman, Philosophy/Pre-Law
"Trying to save some lives."

* * *

On any given day, more than 6,000 men, women and children are searching the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry for a life-saving donor. These patients have leukemia, lymphoma, and other life-threatening diseases that can be treated by a bone marrow or cord blood transplant. For many of these patients, a transplant may be the best and only hope of a cure.

The National Transplant Assistance Fund, National Marrow Donor Program, Temple Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Group, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society have partnered with several universities in the Northeast region of the country to help celebrate and raise awareness for Temple Hospital's 1,000th bone marrow transplant and the 25th anniversary of the National Transplant Assistance Fund.

Temple Football, along with the football programs at Villanova University, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, University of Maine, University of Massachusetts, University of New Hampshire, University of Rhode Island and Wagner College, will be sponsoring bone marrow donor testing drives during the spring semester of 2008 to promote bone marrow transplant awareness and the need for more bone marrow donors across the country, especially in the minority communities.