Running miles for marrow
Runners are encourages to support the Sunflower Fund's Miles4Marrow campaign.
RUNNERS from Queensburgh Harriers are challenging other Comrades Marathon runners to sign up for The Sunflower Fund’s 56Miles4Marrow Comrades Campaign.
The Sunflower Fund is a non-profit organisation whose sole purpose is to build the South African Bone Marrow Registry and give patients suffering with leukaemia and other life threatening blood disorders the hope of finding their 1:100 000 donor match.
It is very unlikely that this life saving donor match will be found outside a patients ethnic group which means in South Africa 100 000 donors of each of the four prominent ethnic groups (Black, Coloured, Indian and White) need to be educated and recruited. Although it only takes two test tubes of blood to become a donor, it costs The Sunflower Fund R2000 to tissue type this blood sample before it can be included on the Registry. In order to create an effective and representative registry for all South African patients, The Sunflower Fund has to raise much needed funds.
The Sunflower Fund’s Miles4Marrow campaign has proven to be a highly successful fundraising project as the ‘athletes’ enjoy doing what they love for a good cause and the public is happy to support those doing something so physically challenging. Sportsmen and women also seem to be more empathetic to the plight of those with terminal illnesses as they appreciate the fact that they can enjoy outdoor sport. Leukaemia patients spend weeks and months in isolation wards and sport is not an option for them.
“People are very happy to sponsor someone they know, doing something extreme for a worthy cause. You will be amazed at how generous your sponsors are. On 1 June you will be accomplishing a huge personal achievement by running 89kms at the same time you will be giving hope to children whose situations seem hopeless. No matter how small – every bit makes a difference,” said Stephanie Berry, PR manager for The Sunflower Fund in Durban.
For information on the campaign or how you can get involved, contact Allison Naidoo on 079 881 3056 or allison@sunflowerfund.org.za
l For more information on how to become a bone marrow stem cell donor, visit www.sunflowerfund.org.za or call toll free weekdays 0800 12 10 82.
