California University of Pennsylvania Football Coach Gary Dunn Honored by The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation as Donor Recruiter Rookie of the Year in 2017
Villanova, PA, February 6, 2018 (Newswire.com) - California University of Pennsylvania Football Head Coach Gary Dunn was honored by The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation recently at the 2018 American Football Coaches Association Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
At the foundation’s reception for the college football coaches participating in the national campaign, Dunn received an award from the foundation’s founder, recently retired Villanova University Football Coach Andy Talley, and the foundation’s Executive Director, Krista Ross, recognizing him as the 2017 Rookie of the Year with 434 donors registered.
The Vulcan’s football coach participated in the “Get in the Game, Save a Life” initiative, a partnership of The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation and the Be The Match Foundation, for the first time in April 2017, garnering support from the student-athletes and staff of the Cal U football team as well as members of the overall campus community.
"It was our first time, and it was a real success,” said Dunn, who is entering his third season as head coach of Cal U Football. “Our student-athletes scoured the campus and recruited all over, bringing folks to our booth at our student center. There were other student-athletes, students, professors, and staff. It was a wonderful day for all involved.”
The mission of The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation, which raises awareness, funds and registers donors on behalf of the national Be The Match Registry®, is to increase the odds of finding lifesaving donors for patients in need of a marrow transplant, by registering young, committed donors to the Be the Match Registry. In partnership with Be The Match, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program®, Talley launched the “Get in the Game. Save a Life” initiative. Coach Talley has enlisted over 80 college football programs to participate in the “Get in the Game, Save a Life” initiative, with each college football program hosting their own on-campus donor drives each spring.
Since 2008, the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation’s “Get in the Game, Save a Life” registry drives have been responsible for adding over 84,000 potential donors. More importantly, there have been nearly 400 transplants that have occurred with the program’s donors, giving those patients a second chance at life. The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation’s fundraising efforts include events, such as their annual “Bash” in the Philadelphia area and several golf outings, to help support the expense of registering approximately 10,000 new bone marrow donors each year. With a price tag of $100 per donor per test, the program relies on charitable donations from corporate sponsors and individuals to support the program. To date, the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation has raised over $400,000 in support of the Be The Match program. Additional information about the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation is available on their website at http://www.TalleyBoneMarrow.org.
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Source: The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation