NEW YORK, March 21, 2017 – Every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia. For many of these people, their only hope for a cure is a bone marrow transplant. Yet 70% of people who need a transplant do not have a fully matched donor in their family. They rely on a complete stranger for marrow donation to save their life.
That’s why DoSomething.org, one of the largest organizations for young people and social change, and Johnson & Johnson are teaming up for “Give a Spit About Cancer,” an effort to get more young and diverse people to join the Be The Match Registry as potential bone marrow donors.
Beginning March 21st and running through the end of April, the campaign will activate young people across the country by helping them host their own marrow registration drives in their local community, and facilitate online registrations for individuals. “Give a Spit About Cancer” is expected to add thousands of young people to the Be The Match Registry.
Comedian and actor Hannibal Buress has joined the campaign by recording a PSA encouraging young and diverse people to join the bone marrow donor registry.
“It’s so easy to join the registry and potentially save a life,” said Hannibal Buress. “I’m glad to be a part of this campaign and help spread the word about why everyone should give a spit.”
“‘Give a Spit About Cancer’ is back and bigger than ever,” said Michele Fino, Chief Marketing Officer at DoSomething.org. “We know that people of color have a much harder time finding a donor match, so in addition to getting more young people to join the registry, we’re hoping this campaign will encourage more people with diverse backgrounds to join as well.”
Knowing the life and death importance of marrow transplants and the unique opportunity that young people have to contribute to the cause, DoSomething.org is excited to be tackling this issue again. In the past, they’ve registered thousands of potential donors to the bone marrow registry, resulting in more matches made and more lives saved.
“The generosity of the DoSomething community is incredibly powerful,” said Aria Finger, CEO and Chief Old Person at DoSomething.org. “We are so excited to partner with Johnson & Johnson, a company that continuously demonstrates its commitment to advancing human health and wellness for people everywhere. Together, we will literally save lives.”
Another way to support the “Give a Spit About Cancer” campaign is by downloading the Donate a Photo app available on the iTunes App Store and in Google Play. For every photo taken in the app before June 14th, 2017, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 to DoSomething.org to support “Give a Spit About Cancer.”
To participate in Give a Spit About Cancer, text SPIT to 38383 or visit DoSomething.org/spit.