'Together We Are Saving Lives' - Celebrate the Great Work of the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation Saturday, March 3rd at the 7th Annual Bash at the Springfield Country Club

The seventh annual “Bash!” for The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation is set for Saturday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Springfield Country Club.  

Tickets are on sale at https://atbmf2018.auction-bid.org/microsite.

The St. Patrick’s Day “pre-game" celebration will bring members of the community together to celebrate the life-saving programs of The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation, with live music, dancing, a three-course dinner, full open bar, and both a live and silent auction. The Springfield Country Club is located at 400 West Sproul Road, Springfield, PA 19064.

Master of Ceremonies for the evening is longtime Philadelphia sports personality and NBC Sports Philadelphia anchor Michael Barkann. Former Villanova Football and Philadelphia Eagles standout Kevin Reilly will conduct the live auction.

Recognition will be given at the “Bash” to Joseph Pawlowski, a Lycoming College Football player who registered as a potential donor at Lycoming Football’s first “Get in the Game, Save A Life” drive in the spring of 2015, was selected as a match, and in November 2015, he had the opportunity to save a football game on Saturday, and a life just four days later. Pawlowski will be recognized, as will the patient who got a second chance, together for the first time in public.

Perhaps the most compelling story to be told at this year’s “Bash” is that of seven-year-old Thor Forte, who has Sickle Cell Anemia and to date, no match for him has been found. Young Thor will be in attendance on March 3, with the goal of finding his match.

Also during the evening, The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation will present a special achievement award to Dr. Henry Chi Hang Fung, MD, FACP, FRCPE, founding director of the Fox Chase-Temple University Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Program.

“It will be a special evening as our emcee, Michael Barkann of NBC Sports Philadelphia, introduces us to some very special people who have been touched by cancer and marrow transplants. He will also assist in bringing a donor and their recipient together in front of our eyes for the very first time,” said Andy Talley, the recently retired Villanova University football head coach who launched the foundation in 2008.

“Our ‘Get in the Game, Save a Life’ initiative with our partners at Be the Match, as well as the over 100 participating college football programs across the county, has added over 84,000 donors to the Be the Match Registry, and given 489 patients the second chance for life they desperately needed,” Talley noted.

About The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation:

The mission of The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation, which raises awareness, funds and registers donors on behalf of the national Be The Match Registry®, is to increase the odds of finding lifesaving donors for patients in need of a marrow transplant, by registering young, committed donors to the Be the Match Registry. In partnership with Be The Match, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program®, recently retired Villanova University Football Head Coach Andy Talley launched the “Get in the Game. Save a Life” initiative. Coach Talley has enlisted over 100 college football programs to participate in the “Get in the Game, Save a Life” initiative, with each college football program hosting their own on-campus donor drives each spring.

Since 2008, The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation’s “Get in the Game, Save a Life” registry drives have been responsible for adding over 84,000 potential donors. More importantly, there have been over 400 transplants that have occurred with the program’s donors, giving those patients a second chance at life. The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation’s fundraising efforts include events, such as their annual “Bash” in the Philadelphia area and several golf outings, to help support the expense of registering approximately 10,000 new bone marrow donors each year. With a price tag of $100 per donor per test, the program relies on charitable donations from corporate sponsors and individuals to support the program. To date, The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation has raised over $400,000 in support of the Be The Match program. Additional information about The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation is available on their website at http://www.TalleyBoneMarrow.org.

Media Contact:
​Jim DeLorenzo, Jim DeLorenzo Public Relations
​Phone: 215-266-5943
Email: jim@jhdenterprises.com