Key and H.E.L.P organizations will be hosting a bone marrow drive benefiting thousands of patients in search of a match on Tuesday, Sept. 29 and Wednesday Sept. 30, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Dunlap Student Success Building.

Over 6,000 people of every race and ethnic background are searching for a potential bone marrow donor everyday. These organizations have partnered up with The Icla da Silva Foundation in the hope of making a difference and giving the gift of a second chance.

“FSU students and Tallahassee residents could be the ones to save a life,” said Airam da Silva, president of The Icla da Silva Foundation. “Potential donors (can be) from all racial and ethnic groups. Between ages 18 and 60 and in good health are more suitable. The tissue type is inherited, so patients are most likely to match someone of the same race or ethnicity.”

The Icla da Silva Foundation, which was established in June 1992, honors the life of a 13-year-old Brazilian girl who passed away after a battle with leukemia. Icla’s story inspired The Icla da Silva Foundation’s programs and activities to battle leukemia.

For the last 17 years, the foundation has grown to become one of the largest recruitment organizations for the “Be the Match” registry, helping create a more ethnically diverse registry and fostering hope for patients and their families.

The foundation hopes to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors and by providing support services to children and adults with leukemia and other diseases treatable by marrow transplants.

“We are so excited with the possibility of giving a second chance of life to many patients,” said Abigail Smith, one of the volunteers coordinating the drive from H.E.L.P. “College students of this era are much more involved and enthusiastic about helping their community than previous generations at their age.”

Smith became involved with H.E.L.P. after shadowing a friend on one of their field trips to a pre-school and is now on the executive board for the club as the events coordinator.

“After learning about The Icla da Silva Foundation this summer while I was interning in New York, I thought it was very fitting to have a bone marrow drive representing H.E.L.P on campus because it would give the whole student body a chance to help a child with a second chance at life,” said Smith.

Smith said she is enthusiastic about the mission of the foundation, “The Icla da Silva Foundation is a great organization, and I was in awe of how many lives they have touched and their determination to help as many people as they can,” said Smith.

Teaming up with Golden Key, she said, has benefited both organizations as well as the event.

“Together with Golden Key’s outstanding reputation and the impressive public service events the honor society regularly participates in, I believe that both organizations are a strong team in pursuing the common goal of helping others,” said Smith.

Those interested in joining H.E.L.P and Golden Key can e-mail Smith at for more information.

To learn more about he Icla da Silva Foundation, visit www.icla.org.