SEATTLE, Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Nordstrom, Inc. announced
today that it is recognizing Black History Month in 2011 by teaming
up with Be The Match® to help raise awareness of the critical
need for more African American marrow and umbilical cord blood
donors.
As part of its “Living Well” initiative, Nordstrom is giving
people an easy way to learn more about becoming a bone marrow donor
and helping increase the likelihood that patients in need of marrow
and umbilical cord blood transplants can receive them.
According to Be The Match, more than 10,000 U.S. patients are
diagnosed with diseases like sickle cell anemia and leukemia every
year, and their best or only hope of a cure is a bone marrow or
cord blood transplant. These patients do not have a donor match in
their family, and rely on the Be The Match Registry® to find a
match. Patients are more likely to match a donor from their own
race or ethnicity, but just seven percent of the Be The Match
Registry’s 9 million members are African American.
A new website, www.nordstrom.com/bhm,
provides an opportunity for visitors to take action and learn more.
For every person who joins the Be The Match Registry as a potential
marrow donor via the site from February 1 through February 28,
Nordstrom will cover the $100 cost of adding a new member to the
registry, up to $75,000.
“We recognize that our customers and employees come from diverse
backgrounds, and we want to celebrate that,” said Amelia Ransom
Letcher, vice president of Diversity Affairs at Nordstrom. “Health
and education have long been focus areas for our community support
efforts so working closely with Be The Match and helping provide
opportunities for the public to help save the lives of those
affected by leukemia and other diseases is something we are honored
to be a part of.”
Nordstrom is also spreading the word about the initiative via
signs in its stores, its
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