Blood, bone marrow drive Oct. 20

WASILLA -- In this time of turmoil, it seems more people are looking for ways to help their fellow man. Three area groups committed to saving lives have teamed up to give local residents a great way to help the cause.

If you're interested in potentially saving lives through donating blood or registering with the national bone marrow registry, or if you simply have questions about getting your home prepared for a potential disaster, stop by the bone marrow registry and blood drive at the new Wasilla Public Safety Building on Oct. 20.

The Mat-Su center of Blood Bank of Alaska, along with the Mat-Su branch of the Southcentral chapter of the Alaska American Red Cross and Mat-Su Borough Emergency Medical Service (EMS) volunteers, are hosting a bone marrow registry, blood donation and blood donor recruitment drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the new building, located at the corner of Lucille Street and Swanson Avenue.

The slogan for the cooperative blood drive is "Together we can save a life," and that seems to capture the atmosphere of the effort. Borough EMS volunteers will be helping blood bank personnel with the blood draws, according to Mat-Su Borough Public Safety Director Kevin Koechlein. He said the location of the new building seems perfect for such an event.

"It's right in the middle of things," Koechlein said. "We've got a lot of room."

Sally Anderson, Red Cross field operations manager, said her team of volunteers will be manning the refreshment table for the event.

But the Red Cross help won't stop there, Anderson said.

"We're also going to be available to answer any questions anyone might have as far as disaster preparedness or disaster training," Anderson said.

Pamphlets will be available from the Red Cross detailing what people should carry in their homes to be prepared in the event of a natural or other disaster, Anderson said, and some first aid kits may be available.

But Anderson said their education effort would not outshine their primary duties at the event.

"Our main emphasis is supporting the Blood Bank of Alaska," Anderson said.

The bone marrow aspect of the drive is quite different from general blood drives, according to Marianne Schlegelmilch, manager of the Blood Bank of Alaska's Mat-Su center. Participants must provide a brief medical history and sign a consent form, but they only donate a small tube of blood.

The tube is then given an individual bar code and sent to the National Marrow Donor Registry in Washington state, where it is tested and listed in the donor registry. When a patient needs a bone marrow transplant, the various characteristics, or markers, of his or her blood are entered into the national registry, which scans the donor list for a match.

Schlegelmilch said donors are difficult to find, since almost all markers must match in order for a donor to be compatible. If even one marker is different, she said, the patient must take anti-rejection medication.

Minorities are especially encouraged to take part in the registry, Schlegelmilch said, since the number of minorities in the national registry is small and race is one of the markers in selecting a donor for bone marrow transplants.

More information is available at 376-1195.