Students, faculty and staff on the Oklahoma State University campus will have the opportunity to save lives in two ways this week.

Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) is conducting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

The bloodmobile will be on Library Lawn and the Starlight Terrace on the fourth floor of the Student Union and will offer an indoor donation location.

And, for the first time, OSU’s Pi Beta Phi chapter is partnering with Oklahoma Blood Institute to offer a marrow registry drive on campus.

Each year, more than 10,000 Americans face life-threatening diseases from cancer to leukemia for which the only cure is a marrow transplant.

Many of those in need are children, and only 30 percent find a family member who is a matched donor. The rest must rely on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry also known as “Be The MatchSM” (BeTheMatch.com). In Oklahoma, OBI coordinates all “Be The Match” activities.

For the local Pi Phi chapter, OSU and Stillwater, the marrow registry is very personal. Marshall Matlock, 29, is battling leukemia and needs an immediate marrow transplant. Both his grandfathers were on the OSU faculty. Dr. Ralph Matlock was the Department. Head of the Agronomy Dept. until his death in 1977. Dr. Bryan Glass, was in the Zoology Department., and was the OSU museum director for his last 15 years before retirement in 1985. He now lives at the Renaissance Retirement Center in Stillwater.

Marshall’s parents met at Stillwater High School and are both OSU grads.

Peggy, who was a Pi Phi at OSU, is now an elementary school principal in Moore. Randy is a pharmacist.

Marshall’s sister, Rebecca, was also an OSU Pi Phi and graduated from pharmacy school in May. Marshall graduated from OSU in 2003 and worked at Cerner Pharmaceuticals in Kansas City until his diagnosis earlier this year.

Just last week, Marshall found a donor on the national registry, so OSU’s drive is a “Pay It Forward” campaign dedicated to Marshall and the unknown donor who will save his life.

Pi Phi actives and alumni as well as members of the Matlock family are staffing the drive. The registry drive will take place in the Starlight Terrace.

Joining the registry is as easy as making a commitment to save a life if called, completing a health history form and swabbing the inside of your mouth.

Marrow registrants must also:

• be 18 – 60 years old and, generally, in good health;

• have their driver’s license or social security number;

• complete registration forms with contact information on themselves and two family members or friends who can be reached in the future if registrant’s address changes;

• answer health questions;

• sign an agreement to join the registry; and

• swab the mouth cheek for tissue typing and matching.

The entire marrow donor registration process takes only about 10 to 15 minutes.

There is no cost to register at these OSU events.

Oklahoma Blood Institute, coordinating the marrow registry, is the only organization in Oklahoma that facilitates the marrow donation transplant process for those who are found to be a suitable match for a person who needs a marrow transplant.

In general, marrow donation is a simple, outpatient medical procedure that is much like an automated blood donation, according to James Smith, M.D., Medical Director, Oklahoma Blood Institute. Donated cells are naturally replaced in the donor’s body in four to six weeks.

Those who are unable to attend these OSU registry events but want to register to be a marrow donor or schedule a registry event, may call 405-297-5575 or e-mail awilson@obi.org.