Playing hoops to save lives

There are times when great communities such as ours must come together to help those in need.
This weekend is one of those times.
For a good cause
Ben D’Alessandro, whom many of you know from his basketball background, will literally get the ball rolling on this project when his BD Basketball School hosts the National Marrow Donor Program’s Basketball Marrowthon fundraiser at The Dell on Emmet Street.
The event’s main purpose is to raise funds and awareness for the NMD program and for those who love to play hoops in a basketball marathon that begins at 8 a.m. July 4 and finishes at 11 p.m. on July 5. It’s not too late to enter a team (call Ben at (434) 242-7729) or email Sharie Meduri at .
If you know anyone who suffers from any one of the 70 types of blood cancers that a bone marrow transplant offers hopes for a cure, then you will understand how important events like D’Alessandro’s is this weekend.
Personally, I don’t know anyone who suffers from this, but feel like I do. A terrific friend of mine’s sister has been battling these conditions for a while now and it touched my heart when I found out that during Bruce Springstein’s most recent visit to Charlottesville, he and his crew went well out of their way to spend time with her (she’s a big fan of the Boss) after learning about her fight.
If someone from outside the community can show so much caring for one of us, then shouldn’t we all?
I’m not singling out just this terrible disease. Of course, there are too many diseases that bring heartbreak to so many families.
Help save a life
Becky Silver (not the lady mentioned above) is one of those people we need to save. I don’t know her, but she has served in many volunteer roles in our community to help others. Now, she needs help.
A mom of two teenage boys and a wife, she was diagnosed with very rare Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, an extremely aggressive form of blood cancer, on May 15. Like others, she is searching for a bone marrow donor.
Everyone who registers for this Marrow Registry drive this weekend at The Dell will have their results expedited for her. She encourages people to register, not just to help save her life, but to potentially be the match for anyone in the nation whose life may depend on a bone marrow donation.
It’s an easy process, I’m told, just a simple cheek swab that takes only a few seconds, but something that means everything to someone like Becky Silver.
“If I can do one thing to help give back during this time when I am so dependent on the generosity of so many others, it would be to try to raise awareness of the shortage of minority donors and to help alleviate that gap,” said Silver, who is not a minority.
She explained that the vast majority of those already registered are Caucasian, such as she, but the disease impacts all races. While her odds of finding a match in the registry are higher, many of other ethnicities are not so fortunate.
So, if you like playing hoops or just want to help save a life, or potentially many lives, contact D’Alessandro about this project. You don’t even have to play to support the event. You can come by and register or make a financial contribution.
This time, somebody’s life really does depend on it.