PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne football program hosted its 16th annual NMDP℠ Get In The Game registry drive on Wednesday, adding 220 new potential blood stem cell donors to the NMDP Registry℠.

The Dukes have now registered more than 6,000 individuals since the initiative began on campus, with 24 of those matches resulting in actual donations.

Get In The Game, a nationwide effort led by NMDP (formerly Be The Match), empowers college athletic programs to leverage their platform and community reach to grow the stem cell donor registry. More than 375 collegiate teams participate annually, contributing over 240,000 new registrants. To date, more than 1,400 student-athletes and supporters have gone on to donate.

"Each year, I'm inspired by the way our student-athletes and campus community come together to support this cause," said Duquesne head coach Jerry Schmitt. "Our players and staff did an outstanding job spreading awareness and encouraging others to join the registry. This is a special effort that brings out the best in our team and our community. I'm thankful for the leadership of Coach Paul Grattan, who spearheaded this year's effort with great enthusiasm."

Grattan, Duquesne's running backs coach, has a longstanding connection to the initiative, having actively participated in Get In The Game as a student-athlete during his time at Villanova.

For more information on Get In The Game and how to join the registry, visit NMDP.org.
 

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