Beyond Mail: U.S. Postal Service Delivers Hope Through Its Marrow Donor Program

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Nov 10, 2010, 07:44 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service is known for delivering mail and packages throughout America, but did you know it is the largest contributor to the National Marrow Donor Program’s (NMDP) Be The Match Registry?

Thousands of patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening blood diseases need donor matches for bone marrow or blood cell transplants, yet there is only a 30 percent chance of patients finding matches within their own families. And for minorities, the possibility is drastically less. The Postal Service leverages the country’s second largest civilian workforce — and one of the most diverse — by delivering hope to patients that a life-saving match can be found.

“Our Delivering the Gift of Life campaign has been one of our best investments over the years, adding more than 53,000 potential volunteer donors to the Be The Match Registry,” said Postmaster General John E. Potter. “What reward could possibly be more valuable than life? I was there at our first drive in Baltimore in 1997 when we joined forces with Rod Carew, the Marrow Foundation and the National Marrow Donor Program. It makes me proud to know our employees believe in the spirit of community, and their generosity and self-sacrifice continue to amaze me.”

The Postal Service was honored by Be the Match Foundation (the fundraising arm of the NMDP) last year with the very first “Rod Carew Award for Leadership” for its efforts to stem diseases of the blood and immune system and for having saved more lives — 80 — than any other business organization in the country.

Embarking on the 14th year of this collaborative recruitment initiative, the Postal Service, NMDP and Be The Match Foundation work tirelessly to offer people an opportunity to save lives and kindle hope where none may have existed. Postal Service employees, their spouses and dependents, ages 18 and older, are eligible to participate through the Delivering the Gift of Life campaign at no cost for type-testing of tissue.

Any person of any race or ethnicity who is 18-60 years old and meets donation health guidelines can become a potential volunteer donor. Interested postal employees who are not currently part of the registry can send an e-mail to [email protected]. Others who want to help or become a part of the Be The Match Registry can go to www.bethematch.org for more information.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service