Drive for bone marrow registry planned

Franciscan St. Francis Cancer Center and the Indiana Blood Center is conducting a drive to enlist potential bone marrow donors.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Franciscan St. Francis Health-Indianapolis in the Terrace Café. It will continue from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Cancer Center lobby.

Both venues are at the hospital at 8111 S. Emerson Ave., on Indianapolis’ south side.

To be considered for the registry, donors must be between the ages of 18 and 44, meet certain health guidelines and committed to donate to any patient in need of a marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplants are needed for people who have diseases such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or multiple myeloma.

Potential donors attending the Thursday events also will have the opportunity to help patients undergoing bone marrow transplants at Franciscan St. Francis Health. During an ice cream social from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Cancer Center lobby, raffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win gift baskets.

Proceeds from the raffle will be earmarked for the Indiana Blood and Marrow Transplantation Patient Assistance Fund.

Information: 317-528-7308 or 317-528-5500