New England Walk of Life Walkathon in September

Submitted by the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) will host its third annual New England Walk of Life Walkathon in Watertown. Funds raised as a result of the Walk of Life will support the instrumental work of the ABMDR, which helps Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching unrelated donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants.

Bone marrow transplanting procedures are now as simple as a blood draw and pose little to no pain. Raising funds helps ABMDR recruit bone marrow donors, which is the crucial first step towards saving a life.

Walkers will follow a 2.2-mile route beginning at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) at 47 Nichols Ave. The Walkathon will take participants to the “Faire on the Square” town celebration on Main Street, where walkers can enjoy the festivities: local food, music, and dance.

The Walk of Life has already attracted the participation of several prominent community organizations, including AGBU Young Professionals, Amaras Art Alliance, Armenian American Pharmacists Association, Armenian Business Network, Boston College Armenian Club, Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association, Daughters of Vartan, Erebuni Armenian School, Erebuni Dance School and Ensemble, Friends of Armenian Cultural Society, Hamazkayin, Lexington High School Armenian Club, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School, and YerazArt Foundation. New organizations are registering every day, and prospective participants are encouraged to join one of these existing teams, start their own team, or walk individually.

Last year, we raised $14,000 and doubled our participants from the year before, with over 200 walkers. We hope to continue this growth trend and make the 2014 New England walk an even greater success”, said Dr. Frieda Jordan, President of ABMDR. Dana Farber Cancer Institute of Boston has been a major sponsor of the event since it’s inception three years ago. This year, the Armenian American Pharmacists Association and The Watertown Savings Bank have both generously offered to sponsor the event. Organizations interested in sponsoring the Walk of Life, are urged to contact the organizing committee.

Whether you choose to walk or sponsor a walker with a monetary contribution, you can make a huge difference in someone’s life. ABMDR would like to mobilize the entire community to support this event and the response to-date has been significant. To register for the walkathon, sponsor a walker, or for more information, interested individuals are encouraged to visit http://www.abmdr.am/ne-walk/ or contact Tatoul Badalian at 617-331-0426.

About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To-date, the registry has recruited over 22,000 donors in 17 countries across four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone marrow transplants.

Walkathon Registration: http://www.abmdr.am/ne-walk/

ABMDR Info: http://www.abmdr.am/

Donor Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNmVS-85N-c