ELLINWOOD — Ellinwood Area Health Foundation received autographed sheetmetal from Jeff Gordons 2011 NASCAR and his crew chief shirt to auction off at the upcoming “Giving is Receiving” fundraising event on April 28.  
This fundraising event will not only help the hospital to purchase a new telemetry unit for cardiac patients, but will also be a time for the hospital staff, Foundation, and Auxilary to help educate the community on how to help others by becoming a donor. Rick Hendrick, chairman and CEO of Hendrick Motorsports, established the Hendricks Marrow Program in 1997 after he was diagnosed with leukemia.  Hendricks Marrow Program works with Be The Match Foundation to raise money and add more potential marrow donors to the registry.
Bone marrow and stem cell transplants are effective alternatives to treating many types of cancer and leukemia.  Every year over 10,000 patients need a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor, but only half receive one.  The Registry includes millions of people, however for a successful transplant; a patient needs a matching donor.  Special testing determines whether a patient and marrow donor is a good match.  Because the markers used in matching are inherited, patients are more likely to match someone from their own race or ethnicity.  Adding more donors from diverse backgrounds to the Registry will increase the likelihood that all patients will find a match.