Over the past 35 years, UW faculty, staff and retirees have helped turn the University of Washington Combined Fund Drive into the most successful workplace giving campaign in the state. In total, more than $1.75 million has been raised for 5,000-plus nonprofits.
This year’s campaign runs through December 6, 2019 and aims to carry on that legacy of generosity with featured nonprofit Be The Match, an organization that annually facilitates more than 6,000 blood stem cell transplants between unrelated donors and recipients.
Stem cell transplants can improve survival rates for certain types of leukemia from nearly zero to as much as 90%. Researchers at UW Medicine are also investigating how stem cells can be used to treat a host of conditions, including Alzheimer’s, heart disease and diabetes.
Be The Match helps connect more patients to the life-saving transplants they need, helps more patients and families cope with the uninsured costs of transplant and funds groundbreaking research like the kind being done at UW Medicine.
Today, more than 20 million people are registered as possible stem cell donors, and 92,000 stem cell transplants have been made possible by Be The Match. Among those 92,000 transplants was one that helped save the life of Joe Grojean, a cancer survivor and current University of Washington employee.
Visit the UW Combined Fund Drive and make a donation to Be The Match or make a gift directly to UW Medicine and help continue this life-saving work through payroll deduction or a one-time donation.
Guest Writer: Landon Bennett
