Purchase College Presents More To Live For Film Screening And Bone Marrow Donor Registry Drive

PURCHASE, N.Y., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Purchase College-SUNY will present a screening of the award-winning documentary film More to Live For in the Music Building Recital Hall (735 Anderson Hill Road) on April 3, 2013. The event synthesizes two hallmarks of Purchase College — performing arts and community activism — by also featuring a bone marrow donor registry drive.

The film screening, which is open to the public and free of charge, will take place at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Q&A with producer Susan Brecker. In addition, Noah Hutton, the acclaimed director of the film, will present his perspective. There will also be performances by Purchase jazz musicians before and after the film.

From 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. there will be an opportunity to sign up for the International Bone Marrow registry. This is a simple process that involves filling out a form and taking a mouth swab. The result can be a match that will save someone's life.

"The core of the movie and the donor movement lies in an essential truth. One individual truly can make a difference," says Susan Brecker, co-producer (with James Chippendale) of the film.  Her husband, the world-famous jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker, tragically died of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, formerly known as preleukemia) when he was unable to find a donor match. This inspired Susan to make the film and to educate people about bone marrow donation — which is a far less invasive process than most people think.

More to Live For tells the story of three men who are united by the common need for a bone marrow donor. While showing their struggle for survival, the film demonstrates how easily people can give this precious gift of life by registering and possibly becoming a donor.

Susan Brecker has shown the film at more than 25 jazz and music festivals and colleges and has registered thousands of donors at these events. "The more people who are in the donor bank, the more likely it is that matches can be made," she notes. "In a sense, it is an insurance policy for everyone, worldwide."

As part of the close-knit jazz community, Michael Brecker knew many of the teachers in the renowned Purchase Conservatory of Music Jazz Studies program, including the program's director, Pete Malinverni.  "Michael Brecker was legendary in the jazz world — the gold standard for saxophone players and a 15-time Grammy winner," says Malinverni. "We are thrilled to show this film and encourage people to register for the donor bank — truly a fitting testimony to Michael's generous spirit."

Brecker played on more than 700 albums and worked with James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Frank Sinatra, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Charles Mingus, Chet Baker, Quincy Jones, and many others.

Pete Malinverni concludes, "This event epitomizes the Purchase College tradition of using artistic expression to raise awareness about important issues and encourage social activism. It gives ordinary people the opportunity to be heroes — perhaps saving a life through the simple act of getting tested and becoming part of the donor community."

About Purchase College–SUNY
Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspirations for Purchase were to combine on one campus conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences. Today, Purchase College-SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the College, visit www.purchase.edu.

Contact:
Jon Lieb/Anita Bell
Thirty Ink Media
914-741-2260

SOURCE Purchase College-SUNY