WHAT: Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute Center for Hematologic Malignancies and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)are sponsoring a free marrow donor drive as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Annual Light The Night Walk. With a simple cheek swab or blood sample, donors could help save a life.

WHERE: There will be a table set up for the testing at theWorld Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St., Portland, 97204. This is also the start of the walk.

WHEN: Free testing starts Friday, Oct. 3, 4:30 p.m.; registration for the walk begins at 6 p.m.; the walk takes off at 7:30 p.m.

WHO: Anyone ages 18 to 60 can be part of the National Marrow Donor Campaign. Participants do not have to be part of the Light the Night Walk to be part of the bone marrow donor drive.

WHY: Each year more than 35,000 children and adults in the United States are diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases such as leukemia. For many of these patients, a marrow or blood cell transplant is the only chance for a cure. About 70 percent of these patients will not have a suitable donor in their family. The non-profit NMDP manages the largest volunteer donor registry in 35 countries and connects donors in the registry with patients in need of transplants. The cost for individuals to participate in the donor drive is being covered by the OHSU Cancer Institute Center for Hematologic Malignancies. Typically, it costs $25 to $50 to enroll as a potential donor in the NMDP.

DETAILS: The Light the Night walk is a 1.8- or 3-mile walk along the Portland waterfront. Register for Team OHSU: http://teams.lightthenight.org/ohsu.

CONTACT: For more information about Light The Night, visit www.lightthenight.org/or for more information about NMDP visit: www.marrow.org.