Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
3111 Los Feliz Avenue, #206, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Contact person: Dr. Frieda Jordan
Phone: (323) 663-3609
Email:abmdrla@abmdr.am
Press Release
Walk of Life 2009 to be held on October 3
Community event, featuring performances by several musicians,
will support the life-saving activities of the ABMDR
Los Angeles, September 14, 2009 – The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor
Registry (ABMDR) will hold its annual walkathon on Saturday, October
3, at the Verdugo Park in Glendale, California. As with previous
walkathons, Walk of Life 2009 will be a celebration of fitness and
health, raising awareness of the ABMDR’s vital work and offering
attendees the chance to join the ranks of the registry.
`The walkathon provides a wonderful opportunity to support a cause
that affects everyone, especially those of Armenian descent,’ said
Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of the ABMDR Board of Directors.
Expected to draw hundreds of participants from all age groups, the
event will feature food and live entertainment, with performances by
a number of popular musicians.
Youth participation in the walkathon is a top priority. Currently
Mariette Keshishian and Dr. Evelyn Baghdassarian of the ABMDR are
coordinating teams of students from local public schools with the
help of Daniel Baghdassarian, a student at La Canada High.
Armenian schools will also have a strong presence at Walk of Life
2009. While all Armenian schools are invited to participate in the
walkathon, the Chamlian and Mesrobian schools are already onboard,
with their respective teams posted on the ABMDR site (abmdr.am). In
addition, Garbis Bartanian, a science teacher at Mesrobian School, is
currently educating students about stem cell transplantation and
genetics through a series of special talks. Dr. Baghdassarian noted
that individuals of any age can start their own walkathon team or
join an existing one through the ABMDR site.
Walk of Life 2009, which is chaired by Armond Aghakhanian of the
ABMDR, has received considerable corporate and local-government
support. The event’s main sponsor is the Glendale Memorial Hospital,
represented at the walkathon by Arpine Kestenian. Other sponsors
include the Glendale City Council and Bank of America. The latter has
contributed $1,000 to the walkathon and pledged to match all funds
raised by Bank of America employees. Dr. Jordan said that other
sponsors can still join in and will receive ABMDR recognition as
walkathon supporters.
`We will be walking to save lives,’ Dr. Baghdassarian said. `At this
very moment there are patients who are in desperate need of a bone
marrow donor, so this is the time to help.’
During Walk of Life 2009, participants will be encouraged to join the
ABMDR. Throughout the event, volunteers will register potential
donors after conducting a quick and simple screening, which involves
taking a saliva sample with a swab.
`The ABMDR has become a genuinely pan-national project around which
Armenians everywhere continue to rally,’ said Fimi Mekhitarian, one
of the registry’s scores of volunteer donor recruiters. `Our upcoming
walkathon is a vitally important event not only because it will
celebrate community activism and wellness, but function as a great
conduit to further boost the life-saving mission of the registry.’
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999,
the ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide
survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and
matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants.
To date, the registry has recruited 14,144 donors across three
continents, identified 1,305 patients, found 1,033 potential matches,
and facilitated nine bone marrow transplants.
For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.
# # #
Walk of Life 2009
5K/10K walk-run
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Starting at 9 am
Registration: 8 – 9 am
Verdugo Park: 1621 Canada Blvd., Glendale, CA 91208
Featuring live performances by Joseph Krikorian, Ara Sahagian, Hratch