Golf Programs Help Save Lives Through Be The Match Drive
1/30/2015 10:52:00 AM | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
Kent State's men's and women's golf teams held a donor drive this week and signed up nearly 200 people for Be The Match, a national organization that manages the largest and most diverse bone marrow registry in the world. Marrow transplants help save lives of people diagnosed with life threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
"This has been a very successful event," said women's golf assistant coach Maddi Swaney, who helped organize the drive. "I'm very happy how both teams have embraced this opportunity to use the platform that they have to spread the message."
Word of the drive not only spread to students coming to and from Kent State's student center, but members and student-athletes from all areas of the athletic department registered and helped bring awareness.
"This has been a really great, complete department effort," said Swaney. "It's nice that we're a big family."
Even the Ohio Wesleyan men's golf team came out to support. Director of Golf Ian Miller, who is a former Kent State student-athlete, brought members of his men's golf team and made the short journey to Kent to help give back.
"We all have friends and family that have been affected by cancer in some form, so for me it was a good opportunity and certainly a worthy cause," Miller said.
For Kent State's golf program, the cause hits very close to home. In 2012, sophomore Maddy Mullin's father, Paul, was diagnosed with myelodysplasia (MDS), a rare form of blood cancer. Paul's sister was a match for him and donated stem cells through a successful transplant. Unfortunately in December 2013, the MDS came back as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and Paul lost his battle with cancer.
"I'm thankful for the support of my coaches and Kent State family in organizing this donor drive," said Maddy. "If it weren't for a bone marrow transplant, my dad would not have had a chance at new life. No one ever fights alone, so I'm happy we have the opportunity to help join someone else's fight and save a life."
"I knew Mr. Mullins in Sandusky when I was a golf professional there," added Miller, "so I thought it would be a great thing to do for our team as a public service."
For more information or to register to become a bone marrow donor to help save a life, visit bethematch.org.
