Celebrating Real Life Heroes at Bone Marrow Donor Gala

Charles R. Bronfman to Share Personal Remarks

NEW YORK, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An extraordinary event will take place on Thursday, May 12, 2011, at The Grand Hyatt New York.  That evening, the Grand Ballroom will be filled with heroes who have saved the lives of complete strangers, and witnesses present to hear their stories.  They are not the usual heroes - policemen, firemen, or doctors.  They are everyday people who have selflessly given of themselves and donated bone marrow to people suffering from life-threatening illnesses like leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers.  For many, a transplant was the only chance they had of survival.

This will be Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation's 11th Annual Partners for Life Gala, held in New York each May. This year, Gift of Life will celebrate twenty years of saving lives.  The occasion will be highlighted by three bone marrow recipients meeting their life-saving donors for the first time, as well as the reuniting past donors and recipients on this special night.  Charles R. Bronfman, Chairman of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, former Co-Chairman of The Seagram Company Ltd., and the former Chairman and principal owner of the Montreal Expos, will speak at the Gala about the importance of the work of Gift of Life.  It will prove to be a truly emotional evening and celebration of life.

"There is no greater humanitarian act than saving a life," said Jay Feinberg, Gift of Life founder and fifteen-year transplant survivor.  "Witnessing these meetings between transplant donors and recipients is always an emotional and uplifting experience.  It is enormously gratifying to see the positive outcome of our work," he said.

This year's Gala will also mark the twentieth year of the building of Gift of Life's bone marrow registry. It was 1991 when the grassroots movement started, then known as "Friend's of Jay," with the intention to save the life of 22 year old Jay Feinberg.  Today, the registry has grown to over 181,000 potential bone marrow donors while helping to facilitate more than 2,300 transplants for patients.  Gift of Life has been publicly recognized for its achievements both nationally and internationally, for its targeted recruitment efforts of underrepresented ethnic groups.

Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation is a leading international registry facilitating bone marrow, blood stem cell and umbilical cord blood transplants for children and adults suffering from life-threatening illnesses.  Its services include transplant coordination, community recruitment, patient advocacy, and public education services.

Members of the media are welcome to attend this event.  Please contact Roxanne Rives to arrange for a complimentary press pass and program materials.

Contact: Roxanne Rives
Tel: 1-800-9MARROW
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation