September 12 2014

Be The Match^®, which facilitates transplants for patients who need a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor, will honor Villanova University Head Football Coach Andy Talley with the Rod Carew Leadership Award, presented annually at the Be The Match Gala in Minneapolis, Minn.

Since 1992, when Talley first learned about the need for volunteer marrow donors to help patients with blood cancers and other diseases, he has been a dedicated partner and fervent supporter of Be The Match.

Recognizing that his young, healthy and diverse football players had the potential to become marrow donors, Talley set out to educate his players and the community about the opportunity to save a life. He’s motivated more than 52,000 young people—many of whom are athletes—to join the Be The Match Registry, with 194 going on to donate marrow to patients in need of a life-saving transplant.

He also created “The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation,” and joined with Be The Match to start the recruitment initiative, “Get in the Game. Save a Life.” The initiative encourages college football teams across the nation to join Talley in his recruitment efforts. To date, the program has enlisted 39 other college football teams to host donor registry drives.

Talley has also been an ardent financial supporter of Be The Match. During the month of September, The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation will match gifts to Be The Match dollar-for-dollar. To participate, visit BeTheMatch.org/MatchMyGift

Talley has been recognized by various coaching and football organizations for his excellence as a mentor and coach to young-adult athletes. His resume includes coaching positions at Middlebury College, Brown University, St. Lawrence University and most recently Villanova University. With over 200 wins at Villanova alone, Talley has twice been named the AFCA Coach of the Year.

The Rod Carew Leadership Award is given annually to a person or organization who makes a profound difference in the lives of patients and their families. It is named for Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer, Rod Carew, who raised national awareness of the need for marrow donors while searching for a donor for his daughter, Michelle.

About Be The Match
For people with life-threatening blood cancers—like leukemia and lymphoma—or other diseases, a cure exists. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. People can contribute to the cure as a member of the Be The Match Registry®, financial contributor or volunteer. Be The Match provides patients and their families one-on-one support, education, and guidance before, during and after transplant.

Be The Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), a nonprofit organization that matches patients with donors, educates health care professionals and conducts research so more lives can be saved. To learn more about the cure, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2.