Albany, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s (SUNY Poly) Undergraduate Student Government at Albany (USGA) Ski Club hosted a bone marrow registry drive Friday, December 9, in NanoFab East at the Albany NanoTech Complex as part of a community service project highlighting SUNY Poly’s positive impact in the community. The effort allowed the ski club to encourage interested SUNY Poly faculty, staff, and students between the ages of 18-55 to have the inside of their cheeks swabbed, and the resultant information was entered into the Bone Marrow Registry so that they are “pre-tested” and able to provide someone with a much needed transplant due to chronic infections, disease, or cancer treatments, for example.

“It is significant that at SUNY Poly, as students are focused on preparing for final exams, members of the ski club chose to give back to their community by engaging with SUNY Poly faculty, staff, and students to register them and potentially help to provide much needed bone marrow transplants that could save lives,” said Dr. Bahgat Sammakia, SUNY Poly Interim President. “On behalf of SUNY Poly, I want to congratulate these students for taking the initiative to make a positive difference in our community and sharing the spirit of SUNY Poly that makes this institution such an inspiring place to be a part of.”

The registration drive garnered strong interest, and the ski club was able to register 27 people who might be able to someday make a significant, positive health impact in someone else’s life, in addition to educating many more who may decide to register in the future. As many as 20,000 people each year may need a bone marrow transplant, but according to the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, which provided resources for the registry drive, it is estimated that only 6 out of 10 will receive one.