Students host swab drive to 'Be the Match'

Posted on: 10/17/2014; Updated on: 2/10/2015
By Liz McCarthy, 803-777-2848

Eric Villeneuve has a message for his fellow students – be the match. 

Villeneuve, a junior criminal justice major, is hoping to get more University of South Carolina students registered with the national Be The Match bone marrow registry. Along with a group of students, he has started UofSC’s own Be the Match student organization. 

The group plans to host registry events on campus each semester and work with other groups to get more Carolinians involved.  The group’s first Swab Drive event, which involves a simple cotton swab in the mouth, will be Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Russell House rooms 302 and 304, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The students have challenged Auburn University to register more students ahead of the Gamecocks football game Saturday. Students can also get involved with the new organization

Villeneuve, who donated his marrow to his father this summer, wants students, faculty and staff to know the process is worth it.  

“You’re saving somebody’s life,” he says. “It’s a little pain to give someone a shot at living.” 

For more information about the event, find it on Facebook and check out the Be the Match website.


Share this Story!  Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about