March 3, 2006

FAIRFIELD, CT - The Sacred Heart University men's and women's tennis teams will help sponsor a bone marrow drive on Thursday, March 16, from 1 p.m. - 6p.m. in the William H. Pitt Health and Recreation Center on the Fairfield campus of Sacred Heart University.

The bone marrow drive on March 16th is in conjunction with the National Marrow Donor Program to help Dennis Galatie, father of senior Sacred Heart University women's tennis player, Lauren Galatie, who is in need of a bone marrow transplant for his treatment of cancer.

"We hope the bone marrow drive on March 16th will not only find a match for Dennis but also potentially help hundreds of others as well," said Mike Guastelle, Senior Associate Athletic Director and Director of Tennis at Sacred Heart University. "The National Marrow Donor Program is a great cause and we hope the campus and local community come out and support the drive."

Over 30,000 people need a bone marrow transplant in a given year, so the hope is that this drive will build up the registry and help find a match for Dennis and others in need of a transplant.

On the day of the drive, blood is collected to determine tissue types and various other factors are needed, and if someone is a match, they will be contacted. People are kept on a registry from the initial day they are tested until the age of 61, but can be removed at any time if requested.

For more information regarding the drive or to make a donation to allow individuals to get tested without having to pay, please contact Mike Guastelle at guastellem@sacredheart.edu.

Additional info on the National Marrow Donor Program can also be found at www.marrow.org.