UMD Students Host ‘Be the Match’ To Help Boy Avoid Terminal List

The students will host another swabbing event on Monday from noon until 8 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. — A Be the Match recruitment event was held at the University of Minnesota-Duluth to help those who are fighting blood diseases.

UMD’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) helped organize this event to help patients looking for a blood stem-cell transplant find their match.

Thursday’s event was for almost 2-year-old Ari Chambers.  Ari has not been able to find a match out of 39 million people.

If Ari cannot find a match within the month, he will be put on the terminal list.

The goal is to register over 2,000 people in the Twin Ports within the next week.

UMD students say they are proud to help in any way they can.

“It definitely is super fun just to be able to know that we are helping others and doing well for the community as well as other people who might be struggling with these diseases and immunodeficiencies,” said Payton Addink, who runs social media for SAAC.

“Yeah it means a lot to me. I think it’s really important as student athletes to be involved in our community and give back to our community in this way,” said Grace Daak, Vice President of SAAC.

To find out if you are a match, all you have to do is swab the inside of your cheek. Because of weather and power issues Thursday, the event at UMD will also continue on Monday from noon to 8 p.m., or you can register using this link.