BloodSource and Sacramento State fraternity Nu Alpha Kappa held their annual blood donor registration event Tuesday, recruiting 160 people to register as potential bone marrow donors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shawn Ramos, who has worked for BloodSource for over three years, stressed that people can make a significant difference by registering to become a bone marrow donor.

“I’ve seen miracles happen,” Ramos said.

Bone marrow transplants aid in the treatment of approximately 70 diseases, including leukemia and lymphoma.

NAK has the highest recruiting numbers of all the universities in California that BloodSource travels to, Ramos said. This year’s marrow donation event was dedicated to 2-year-old Tony Bierwirth who was diagnosed with a rare blood disease, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, when he was 6 months old.

Bierwirth’s grandfather, Randy Entricane, collaborated with Ramos to help organize the event.

“I feel happy to contribute my part to hopefully help someone out in the future,” said John Arndt, registered potential marrow donor and business administration junior.

Students sat down in a booth near Sac State’s Library to have their mouths swabbed for DNA collection in order to serve as potential bone marrow donors.

The brief registration process included filling out an application form requiring personal health information, followed by a process in which three different swabs are placed in the individual’s mouth for DNA collection.

The individual is then placed on the donor registry as a potential donor for a maximum period of 60 years where he or she can be contacted at anytime during the period. The individual is contacted if he or she is deemed as a match for someone who needs a marrow transplant.

“It’s not hard to take time out of your day to do it,” said Aida Selmic, registered potential marrow donor and freshman undeclared major.

Julian Garcia, president of NAK and a junior communications major, was pleased with this year’s outcome.

“It’s outstanding to see the student body benefit someone who is in need,” he said.

Evelyn Bigelyaizen can be reached at [email protected].