'Brian Mehan Be the Match' Bone Marrow Drive Being Held May 2

April 17, 2017

The SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinal men’s baseball team will host its annual Brian Mehan Be the Match bone marrow drive Tuesday, May 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Angell College Center lobby.

The event honors the life of former Cardinal player Brian Mehan, who lost his battle with cancer in 2008. This is the sixth year the team is teaming up with the Be the Match Bone Marrow Registry, a database used by the National Marrow Donor Program to connect patients in need with eligible bone marrow or cord blood donors. According to the foundation’s website, BetheMatch.org, prospective donors are added to the registry after submitting cheek cells samples, which are collected by rubbing the inside of a potential donor’s mouth with cotton swabs. Donors remain on the list until they turn 61.

According to BetheMatch.org, on average, about one in 430 registry members are asked to donate bone marrow or peripheral blood cells. Marrow is extracted from donors’ hip bones while they are under anesthesia. At least two participants in the drive have been found to be a match and have undergone donation procedures.

The donor drive is followed at 7 p.m. by the annual Brian Mehan Be the Match Game at Lefty Wilson Field, Boynton Avenue, Plattsburgh. While the Cardinals take on SUNY Canton, cheek swabs will also be performed at the field. In addition, the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir will perform, and the Cardinals will honor local Special Olympians.

For more information, contact Kris Doorey, head baseball coach and assistant to the athletic director, at 518-564-4136 or email [email protected].