Interested in Hosting A Drive?
The core mission of Officers Give Hope is to facilitate marrow drives, creating a ray of hope for patients in need. Our collaboration operates under the umbrella of Be The Match, as we actively enlist potential marrow and stem cell donors into their expansive national registry.
Academy Recruitment
Through years of seeking donors the focus of our drives has evolved to include academy classes. Academy recruits bring a wealth of diversity, a crucial factor for patients who require donors with similar backgrounds.
These recruits hail from a wide array of experiences, enriching the registry and enhancing the chances of finding compatible matches for patients from various ethnicities and walks of life. By extending our efforts to academy classes, Officers Give Hope not only ensures the growth of the donor registry but also emphasizes the spirit of altruism and service that defines the public safety profession.
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Benefits of Hosting a Drive for Academies & Recruits
Hosting a marrow drive not only serves its core purpose but also directly benefits recruits and host agencies in multiple ways. By organizing such an event, they showcase a strong commitment to community service, life-saving actions, and forging essential community partnerships amplifying their training's impact beyond the classroom. Hosting a Drive embodies the principles outlined in the Learning Domain 3: Principled Policing in the Community such as:
- Promoting police/community partnerships and proactive problem solving
- Addressing quality of life issues within communities
- Taking actions to protect lives
- Work in partnership with community members to resolve or reduce problems for those who live and work there
- Promoting themselves in a positive light by getting involved in the community
Through this collaboration, we forge a stronger connection between the ethos of these recruits and the commitment to saving lives through marrow and stem cell donations. Together, we brighten the futures of both the recruits and the patients who await the life-changing gift of a compatible match.
Why Host A Drive?
Cancer and blood disorders do not discriminate and impact law enforcement, public safety, fire fighters, and the entire community. As public safety professionals committed to serving the community and saving lives, joining the registry is an extension of that community service and affords that potential donor the honor and opportunity to potentially be the one and only donor in the nation or world to match a patient and help save their life. There is no higher calling as a public safety professional than saving someone’s life.
The Process
Marrow drives tend to be more successful when the individual in need of a transplant has a relationship to the hosting organization, however, this is not a requirement.
Organizations that are Public safety oriented are always encouraged to Host a Drive. This would include police departments, sheriff departments, state police departments, CHP, prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, etc.
The more time that is allowed to plan and prepare for a registration drive will increase the likelihood of success. Whoever will be spearheading the drive onsite should contact OGH to discuss the drive. Someone from OGH will likely visit your organization (four to six weeks prior to the drive) and make a presentation to the command staff to further discuss the various aspects of a marrow drive and how to make it a success.
Materials: OGH will bring swab kits and educational materials to assist in registering potential donors who wish to join the registry and will provide the necessary staff for the process. We will also welcome the assistance from anyone from the host agency.
Donors: Organizations and their members who sign-up at a drive will be added to the national registry and must be willing to donate to anyone in need of a transplant and not just one individual in need.
Duration: Drives an be conducted with remarkable efficiency, and typically last around 30 minutes. This often is most beneficial to Academy Hosts and their recruits as it works well with busy class schedules.
Drives are always more successful when the leadership within the organization is committed to the success of the drive. Consider Hosting a Drive today and help us continue to change lives.