UFootball Hosts Their Second Annual Marrow Drive
April 12, 2012
CORAL GABLES, Fla.– “Get your swab on.” It’s not something one hears on a daily basis. However, on Wednesday, April 11, it was the phrase of the day on the UM Coral Gables campus. With the spring football season coming to a close this Saturday, the Hurricanes football team spread out around The Green to recruit bone marrow donors from within the UM community for its Second Annual Marrow Donor Drive.
“It is always a great time when our program has an opportunity to serve the community,” said head football coach Al Golden. “I am really proud that our team was able to register 225 people during the event. Thank you to the student body and campus community members who decided to make a difference and join the Be The Match ® Registry. A special thanks goes out to our director of player development Ryan McNamee for organizing our event and the Community Blood Centers of Florida for all of their efforts.”
The players handed out flyers and recruited participants for five hours. The cause hit home for many team members. They had fun working together with their teammates and friends, but they also realized the importance of the task ahead of them.
“The Bone Marrow Drive is a two-fold process. It’s us giving back to the community and raising awareness for the National Marrow Donor Registry, but it’s also our guys working together for a common goal,” said McNamee. “Today is about teamwork, communication and getting the word out there for a great cause.”
Rashawn Scott and fellow wide receiver Phillip Dorsett walked around The Green, handing out flyers and striking up conversations with their peers lounging on the grass. Defensive backs Brandon McGee and A.J. Highsmith positioned themselves in the Breezeway with running back Mike James. Here, they were able to direct people both to the bone marrow tent and to the Miami Scoops ice cream stand, which provided a free scoop to whomever took part in the registry.
“It’s a lot of fun coming out and hanging out with your teammates, but it’s also fun getting people to sign up for a good cause. I like that people come up and actually ask us questions about the point of the cause and the direction of the tent,” said McGee.
The team held its final practice on Thursday, April 12 and concludes an eventful spring football season on Saturday, April 14 at 2 p.m. at Sun Life Stadium for the annual BankUnited CanesFest & Spring Football Game. After their successful day of community service, the Canes can proudly say that they’ve been successful both on and off the field this spring.
