Feb

6 2020

7:00 PM The Temple Be the Match Training

7:00PM - 9:00PM  

Congregation Ahavath Chesed (The Temple) 8727 San Jose Blvd
Jacksonville, FL

Contact Beth Turner
bturner@thetemplejacksonville.org

Many who have lived in Jacksonville for awhile remember bone marrow drives for members of our Jewish Community. In 2005, drives were held at the JCA and The Temple. Recently in 2019, two matches from those drives were used to save Jewish lives!

A new community mitzvah project began because we know from experience that finding matches within our own ethnic group does save lives. As a generous, caring community, there are many ways in which we can contribute so that other ethnic groups have similar positive results.

Did you know that an African-American needing a bone marrow match has only a 23% of finding one compared to 77% for a Caucasian? Statistics show that the chances are somewhat better, but only 41% for Asians and 46% for Hispanics or Latinos, going down to almost nothing for those who are racially mixed.

Representing Be The Match, local concerned citizens are holding training sessions for those interested in doing actual cheek swabbing or virtual drives using cell phones and computers to improve these statistics.

The first training session will be from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 6 at The Temple, which is located at 8727 San Jose Blvd. You will only need one session to help with actual or virtual drives. If interested, send your name and email to diversitydonordrive@aol.com .

Ages 18-44 can register for a FREE swabbing kit by TEXTING JaxDonors to 61474 or scanning our QR code with your cell phone.

The team page for contributing your tax-deductible amount online is: www.BeTheMatchFoundation.org/goto/JaxDonors.

This community effort is currently endorsed by OneJax, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Isaiah Rumlin of the NAACP and others.

For questions or information, contact Rhoda London at diversitydonordrive@aol.com or John-Michael Lawrence at lawrencejohnmichael9@gmail.com.