In our June 17 Summer Fun issue where we offered up 43 suggestions for things to do in and around Regina this summer, one idea that we proposed was donating bone marrow. In the blurb I wrote, I mentioned Mandi Schwartz (pictured), a young Saskatchewan woman suffering from acute myeloid leukemia who is in need of a bone marrow transplant.
Saturday and Sunday, as part of a CBC Hockey Night in Canada four-on-four street hockey tournament that is being held in the Cathedral District, a bone marrow registry drive is being held. According to a Leader-Post report, over 1600 people have signed up to have a cheek swab taken and entered into the registry. In Mandi’s case, her mixed Russian, German and Ukrainian ancestry makes the odds of her finding an exact match particularly tough. But the more people who register, the better those odds, and the odds for others awaiting a bone marrow transplant, become.
The street hockey tournament runs from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. both days, and takes place on 13th Ave. between Robinson and Angus Street.