Potential marrow donors can win prizes

A drive to register people for the bone-marrow transplant list will be held Saturday at Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, where a student is battling leukemia.

Saulo Morris, a member of Thunderbird High's band, desperately needs a bone-marrow transplant, so supporters organized the drive at Thunderbird.

Anyone who takes part in a test will be entered into a drawing for prizes that include lunch for the winner and five friends at R.T. O'Sullivan's in Glendale with outfielder Eric Byrnes of the Diamondbacks.

Other prizes include Coyotes tickets, Arizona State football and basketball tickets and autographed memorabilia.

Morris learned he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2007. While enduring a year of chemotherapy, he continued to play bass drum in the marching band whenever he was physically able.

His hair had grown back this year, but in October the cancer returned and the only hope now is for a bone-marrow transplant.

During Morris' fight, Make-a-Wish offered to grant him a wish, and he asked that a donation be given instead to Doctors without Borders for work in Darfur. He wrote: "I thought of all the shiny new things I could ask for . . . but then I thought could someone else put this wish to better use? The answer was yes."

The marrow test is painless, requiring only a swab of the mouth. To participate, you must be ages 18 to 60, be willing to donate to a patient in need and meet health guidelines.

Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially needed.

Financial contributions will be appreciated, too, as the cost to add a marrow donor to the registry is $52.

The drive runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Thunderbird High, 1750 W. Thunderbird Road.

For more information, call 602-277-1390 or 602-277-1002 or visit knoxcomm.com/saulo.

For more information on marrow donations, call 800-MARROW-2.