12th Annual March for Marrow TX 5K
& 
2021 March for Marrow TX Walk
Sponsored by MD Anderson Cancer Center 
 

We wanted to run and walk with you on March 27th but…
In light of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our communities and with the health and well-being of our patients, family members, friends, and faculty as our top priority, we decided to go VIRTUAL with the March for Marrow events. 

There are still ways we can keep in touch and contribute invaluable information to our communities through our AAMDSIF webinars specific to the COVID-19 and our patients and families dealing with rare bone marrow failure diseases. 

And thanks to technology - we can support the work of AAMDSIF by simply donating to our VIRTUAL event or by participating in our stellar Raffle (below).
Thank you!

The Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation provides education, support, and hope for patients living with aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and related bone marrow failure diseases.

 Help us raise awareness for bone marrow failure disease!

Make a difference, help a patient. Don't delay!
Register online through 4/3/2021 for the Virtual Walk!

Register to become a Virtual Walker or simply Donate!

DETAILS

When
The week of March 27 - April 3 for the virtual 5K Run and Patient & Family Walk! See the Schedule.
Raffle Drawing on April 3rd!

Updates at https://www.facebook.com/hopesteps.curetexas/!

Who
Patients, family members, friends and advocates, tell your story, create a team, and set a goal to support AAMDSIF!  

Doctors, Nurses, Research Fellows – make this a fun, competitive run or walk with your colleagues. Most spirited or largest team gets a prize!!! Timing is optional.

Where
Anywhere you and your friends choose to, walk, run, cycle or skate – 1 or 2 miles or 5 kilometers – in a park, through your neighborhood, or on a treadmill - during the event week.

Walk or run with your furry friend or pushing a stroller. Or sleep in and donate to your virtual team.

What
We are raising awareness about rare bone marrow failure diseases and funds for patient and family services and research for better treatments for patients fighting bone marrow failure diseases.

Participants will receive a t-shirt and we will award medals for the winners of each age category!

Post your selfies at https://www.facebook.com/hopesteps.curetexas/! You can help us make this historic Virtual March for Marrow a huge success!

Raffle
Tickets are $5 each or six (6) tickets for $25. Check out our Raffle Prizes and buy your tickets here.

Prizes to date are:
Jewelry from Kendra Scott
Autographed item from Mia Hamm
$100 gift card
$75 Gift Certificate from Messina Hof Winery & Resort
James Avery Artisan Jewelry Gift Cards
$150 Gift card to the Taste of Texas Restaurant
Basketball signed by the 2019-2020 season NBA San Antonio Spurs Team

Registration Options
Adult Walker or Runner (Age 21+, non-students): $30 each
Student Walker or Runner (14 - 21 enrolled in high school or college): $20 each
Youth Walker or Runner (6 to 13): $15 each
Children 5 and under: Free - donations accepted. 

Team Pricing Available 
Students Running Teams of 5 or more, $15 each; Coach or Team Organizer download the attached form for Student Team Registration and contact the Race Director.

Youth Running Teams of 5 or more, $12 each; Coach or Team Organizer download the attached form for Youth Team Registration and contact the Race Director.

All Student or Youth Walking Teams of 5 or more, $10 each;  Coach or Team Organizer download the attached form and contact the Race Director.

Use this toolkit to build your teams and record your times!

Schedule

We invite Doctors, Nurse, Patients or Family Members and Sponsors to speak. We also welcome bands, cheerleading squads, and singers to participate. 

Check back on this page and our Facebook Event for updates.

 Saturday, March 27, 2021, 9:00 to 9:30 am

• Opening Ceremony with Greetings from our Doctors, Nurses and Sponsors
• Our Star, Nicholas Smith, and Family Testimonials
• Team Selfies and Cheers
• Shotgun Start for the 5K Run and Patient & Family Walks and Raffle Announcement
• Thank you to our National Gold Level Sponsor Alexion for this special message!

 Saturday, March 27 - Saturday, April 3
Run or walk anytime, anywhere this week, and report your times!

 Saturday, April 3, 2021, 9:00 to 9:30 am

• Announcement of Top Fundraisers and Largest or Most Spirited Medical Teams
• Recognition of ALL participants and supporters
• Raffle Winners
• Moment of Remembrance and Farewell

Prepared videos are welcome!

Check in at www.marchformarrow.org for details of upcoming events!

PLANNING COMMITTEE

This event would not be successful without the volunteers who serve on these committees.

The Texas event committee is a wonderful group of volunteers who work together throughout the year to plan this event!  Thank you to our Planning Committee members for all of their hard work!

Stephanie Dillon Hamm, Chair, Sponsorships & Business Engagement
Rosalyn Jones-Waters, Medical Community Relations
Mary Swift & Janet ValVerde, Community Relations
Ron Duncan, Patient and Family Outreach 
Bill Hamm, Web Page & Fundraising Support
Joanha Bistrain, Mireille Nkamsi, Ashley Summers & Tasha Braggs-Wilson, Social Media

VOLUNTEER
The success of this event depends on our volunteers. Thank you for all the work you put into planning this awareness and fundraising opportunity! Because this event is totally virtual our greatest need is help with social media and promotions. Our second greatest need is recruitment of exciting items for our raffle, each with a value of at least $50, and selling our raffle tickets.

Contact Stephanie Hamm with VOLUNTEER or RAFFLE in the subject line.

FAQs
If you have any questions, please contact Bill Hamm to learn more. You can also review our FAQs below.
Download here!

2021 WALK STAR: NICHOLAS 
On Saturday, February 13, 2020, Nicholas went to a park with his Dad to ride the zip line – something every eight-year-old would love to do. He fell off, the line hit him in the mouth, and he started bleeding profusely. The bleeding would not stop, and the family ended up at the dentist, who strangely – told the concerned parents there was nothing he could do. Back at work on Sunday, his mother, Monica, received a frantic call from Nicholas’ sister – he was peeing blood.

Monica raced to meet the family at Texas Children’s Hospital; Nicholas’ red blood cell count was 4.3; his platelets were at 2! The doctors were alarmed and kept Mother and son in the hospital for two weeks and began talking about a transplant. Nicholas was out of the hospital for a week but had to return on March 1^st because he had developed a sore in his mouth and was running a fever.  This time he stayed for 23 days during which time they put in a pic line and started ATG treatment because, although he had a date for a transplant, the doctors wanted to see if his counts could improve with ATG. 

Over a month’s time Nicholas’ counts did improve, but he was on weekly infusions of both red blood cells and platelets. After a scare with high kidney levels was corrected, Monica and Nicholas entered Texas Children’s Hospital again on October 9^th. Our Star, Nicholas, received his transplant on October 16^th and came home on November 4^th.

At first it looked like his numbers were coming up and more and more of his marrow matter and blood cells were his donors. However, he has experienced unpredictable counts and both Nicholas and Mom are spending a lot of time in clinics these days.

SPONSORS
Our thanks to these supporters who help the March for Marrow possible and ultimately make a difference in patients' lives.

National Sponsors

Regional Sponsors

Texas Heroes

Texas Neighbors

Friends