NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma and the NSU bowling team will co-host a bone marrow drive on April 17 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in Room 138C of the Student Center in conjunction with the Be the Match Registry® program.

The drive is designed to get people registered for the program to match patients with potential donors in life-saving efforts. Bowling head coach and assistant athletics academic coordinator Wilhelmenia Harrison stressed the importance of those in the Norfolk State community signing up, as only seven percent of registry members are African-Americans.

The simple process includes participants filling out a questionnaire about their personal information and medical history and then preparing a few cheek swabs. More than 60 people signed up at last year’s bone marrow drive.

Be The Match was created by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to provide opportunities for the public to become involved in saving the lives of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases by matching donors with patients. It is the world's largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units.

Be the Match Registry® is looking for 18-44 year-olds in good health and willing to donate if they are a match. They will only be contacted by the organization if they are found to be a match for someone in need. For more information, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1-800 MARROW-2.