DoSomething.org at Atlantic Station Tonight to 'Give a Spit About Cancer'

DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations for young people and social change in America, and they will be right here in Atlantic Station on Thursday to help kick-off the Give a Spit about Cancer campaign, encouraging young people to get involved.

Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell has teamed up with DoSomething.org and their mission here in Atlanta for the campaign kick-off event, Thursday, September 19, 2013, 6-8 PM, at Central Park in Atlantic Station.

“Her organization,(Mrs. Lublin, CEO and Chief Old Person at DoSomething.org), has a long history of promoting advocacy among young adults. And I am honored to be a part of the drive to increase young adult participation in the bone marrow registry program,” said Ceasar Mitchell.

“Most people don’t realize how easy it is to sign up for the national bone marrow registry. All it takes is a cheek swab. That’s it,” said Lublin. “DoSomething.org is teaming up with my good friend, Council President Mitchell, to host an event to get as many young people in Atlanta signed up for the registry. Who doesn’t love free food and the chance to save a life?”

The Give a Spit campaign seeks to help save the lives of patients affected with blood cancers by increasing the number of young adults on the national bone marrow registry. Bone marrow donations are most successful when the donors fall between the ages of 18-24.

More specifically, the campaign targets young adult minorities, as minorities make up only 25% of the registry. The low number of minority registrants makes it more difficult for minority patients to find a lifesaving match.

Another important note the campaign highlights is that only 30% of patients in need of a bone marrow can find a match within their family. The other 70% rely on complete strangers.

The need for increasing the number of potential donors on the registry is personal for Council President Mitchell.

“This issue hits close to home for me, as my cousin, Ashante Sloan, is a bone marrow recipient,” said Council President Mitchell. “Not long ago Ashante was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and survived her diagnosis thanks to a bone marrow transplant and the Be the Match organization. Her donor was a complete, yet noble, stranger at the time.”

The Give a Spit campaign kicks-off on Thursday, September 19th and continues through December 19th. Young adults are encouraged to continue raising awareness by hosting additional parties through the December 19th campaign end date.

For more information on Give a Spit... visit: http://www.dosomething.org/spit