Social Impact & Volunteering

Dallas Community Rallies to Register 1,100 New Donors for Team Harrison

Apr 9, 2020 10:25 AM ET

Nine-year-old Harrison Marcus is fighting acute myeloid leukemia, but he’s not alone in his battle.

Sunday, January 12th, in just six hours, 1,100 people from his community and school showed up to swab their cheeks to see if they could be the matching bone marrow donor he needs.

“To see the outpouring of support for Harrison and patients who are fighting blood cancers and disorders was simply incredible,” said DKMS US CEO John Spinnato. “Former DKMS donors, Parish Episcopal students, friends, and family all stepped up today to join our donor recruitment and fundraising teams to make this a success.”

Supporting the event were:

  • 4 DKMS donors
  • Harrison’s family members and other DKMS patient families
  • Parish Episcopal School students
  • 3 members of the Dallas Youth Advisory Board

Swabbers also helped raise $25,000 to help offset the costs of processing all the swab kits.

Leading up to the event local news coverage from CBSDFW and social media posts from the Dallas Stars helped to raise awareness about bone marrow donation and Harrison’s need for a match. Former Texas Rangers infielder Michael Young also showed up and swabbed his cheeks.

“We worked closely with Harrison’s support system, family members, and Parish Episcopal School to help make this happen,” said Amy Roseman, DKMS Donor Recruiter. “It takes a community to make a drive like this really special.”

The Dallas Stars and the Dallas Stars Foundation will also be hosting a drive to support Harrison at the January 16th game against the Buffalo Sabres. Tables will be set up on the plaza before the start of the game and on the concourse through the third period. DKMS will also be the recipient of the 50/50 that night. To help new potential donors get swabbed, DKMS representatives and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions.

Last year, a Stars sales executive, Cody Strull, became a bone marrow donor and the team was very excited that they could show their support for not only what Strull did, but to also support Harrison, who is a player in their youth hockey league. The team also created a video to share Cody’s story, and they plan to honor him at the game on the 16th.