Hundreds of people are set to become potential new donors for the UK’s national stem cell register at a one-day football tournament in Leicester.
Leicester City FC’s Community Trust, The Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign, BBC Radio Leicester and #DMUlocal have teamed up to run the event on Saturday, November 19.
The event, called Foxes Fighting Blood Cancer, will aim to add hundreds more people to the Anthony Nolan stem cell donor register by encouraging those who enter their five-a-side teams to join the register.
Blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma affect 38,000 people every year in the UK and stem cell donations are among the most effective treatments.
Mick King, is director of LCFC Community Trust, the club’s charitable arm. He said: “The LCFC Community Trust is proud to be supporting the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign. As a football club we pride ourselves on promoting health and wellbeing within the community.
“It's sad to say blood cancer could strike anyone, the football tournament and of course the stem cell donors we hope to sign-up with Rik are a way for us all to fight back. Please come along and enjoy a great day of football and join the register and you can tell your friends you've been signed up by the Foxes!"
Anyone can register a team for the event, which will run from 11am to 4pm at Goals in Wakerley Road, Evington, Leicester. Eligible players will be urged to join the register and tweet using the hashtag #foxesfightingbloodcancer
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The Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign was set up to help find a match for former Leicestershire police officer Rik after he was diagnosed with blood cancer. A match was found and now he and wife Kas devote their time to getting more people, particularly those from BME communities, to join the register.
Rik said: “We’re absolutely delighted that LCFC Community Trust and #DMUlocal are in a literal sense going to help us ‘kick out blood cancer’… If you’re 16-30 enter a team in our 5-a-side football tournament, you could score but also help us achieve our goal too.
“It’s set to be a fantastic fun day of football, I’m looking forward to seeing some skilful dribbling, hopefully some of it in or direction. All it takes to sign up is a small spit sample and completion of a simple form, please sign-up and we could all be winners!”
Ann O’Leary, Head of Register Development at Anthony Nolan, said: “Leicester City Football Club were already the heroes of Leicester and now they are Anthony Nolan heroes too! Three people every day are given a second chance of life by Anthony Nolan donors.
“By raising awareness and helping to recruit more donors, LCFC and the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign are giving more patients in desperate need of a lifesaving transplant their chance to find a match. At Anthony Nolan, we’re so grateful for this inspiring partnership and we’re excited to see the people of Leicester get involved in this event.’
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been working with the Rik Basra Leukaemia Trust for five years to run stem cell drives which have added thousands of potential lifesavers to the list. So far, five potential lifesavers have been found from students and staff at DMU.
Student volunteers from #DMUlocal, the university’s community outreach programme, will be helping to run registrations as well as signing up on the day.
Mark Charlton, Head of Public Engagement at DMU, said: “We’re proud that DMU students have helped recruit thousands of people to the stem cell register over the past few years. Events like this are so important to fight back against blood cancer and we’re looking forward to welcoming as many teams as possible to the event.”
Teams have until 12 November to register by emailing Ismael.latif@lcfc.co.uk
Posted on Friday 4 November 2016