Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Football Hosts Be The Match Drive
4.13.15 | Football
PHILADELPHIA – Each day, 360 patients in the United States will learn that they have blood cancer. Today, Temple football players helped register 450 people to the bone marrow registry, in hopes that they can be someone's cure.
Standing in front of the Howard Gittis Student Center, players educated those who walked past on the drive and the importance of joining the registry.
"At some point in all of our lives, there's a time where we need help from somebody else. Through the Be The Match drive, we're able to help out someone who is in tremendous need, a live-saving need," said senior kicker Tyler Mayes. "By doing something so simple, by swabbing your cheek and filling out the registry form, you can be on the list and save someone's life. I don't think there's anything that can be better than that."
Most of the players, like senior defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis are already on the registry and wanted to help others join the mission to find a match for someone in need.
"I think it was important for people to come and join the registry because you not only have an opportunity, but an obligation to reach out and try and help someone," said Ioannidis. "If you have the ability to save a life and you're perfectly healthy and you can donate marrow, why wouldn't you? I think it's something everyone should do."
The players also helped to educated those who were interested in joining the registry, but may be worried about the process of donating.
"We were out there today to educate people," said junior placekicker Jim Cooper, Jr. "You see people on the street and when you say "bone marrow" they kind of take a step back, they get pretty intimidated. It might be an intimidating process, but you're going to be saving someone's life in the long run."
The team held the drive in memory of Misha Daughtry, who was a student equipment manager who passed away from leukemia in 2011. According to the Center for Disease Control, 14 million people across the world will be told they have cancer, while eight million will die from the disease.
"Cancer affects everyone; some people have been affected by it directly and other people have had family members and friends who have had cancer," said Cooper. "Cancer is a serious thing, it takes a lot of lives, so whenever you can have a group of people to do something like this, it's just a good thing to do."
For those who were unable to make the drive and are still interested in joining the bone marrow registry, click here.
Photo Gallery
Standing in front of the Howard Gittis Student Center, players educated those who walked past on the drive and the importance of joining the registry.
"At some point in all of our lives, there's a time where we need help from somebody else. Through the Be The Match drive, we're able to help out someone who is in tremendous need, a live-saving need," said senior kicker Tyler Mayes. "By doing something so simple, by swabbing your cheek and filling out the registry form, you can be on the list and save someone's life. I don't think there's anything that can be better than that."
Most of the players, like senior defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis are already on the registry and wanted to help others join the mission to find a match for someone in need.
"I think it was important for people to come and join the registry because you not only have an opportunity, but an obligation to reach out and try and help someone," said Ioannidis. "If you have the ability to save a life and you're perfectly healthy and you can donate marrow, why wouldn't you? I think it's something everyone should do."
The players also helped to educated those who were interested in joining the registry, but may be worried about the process of donating.
"We were out there today to educate people," said junior placekicker Jim Cooper, Jr. "You see people on the street and when you say "bone marrow" they kind of take a step back, they get pretty intimidated. It might be an intimidating process, but you're going to be saving someone's life in the long run."
The team held the drive in memory of Misha Daughtry, who was a student equipment manager who passed away from leukemia in 2011. According to the Center for Disease Control, 14 million people across the world will be told they have cancer, while eight million will die from the disease.
"Cancer affects everyone; some people have been affected by it directly and other people have had family members and friends who have had cancer," said Cooper. "Cancer is a serious thing, it takes a lot of lives, so whenever you can have a group of people to do something like this, it's just a good thing to do."
For those who were unable to make the drive and are still interested in joining the bone marrow registry, click here.
Photo Gallery
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