ASHLAND – Southern Oregon University football is teaming up with Be The Match to host the Raider Athletics Marrow Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday at SOU's Stevenson Union.

SOU is one of approximately 130 universities nationwide at which Be The Match – operated by the nonprofit National Marrow Donor Program – is hosting similar registration drives, where the aim is to find donors for blood disease patients whose survival depends on bone marrow transplants.

The drive is targeting potential donors ages 18-40. Participants will fill out a short application and submit to a cheek swab. Once registered, they can remain in the potential donor pool until age 60.

Representatives from Be The Match will be on site to conduct the drive with assistance from the Raider football team and the Black & Red Crew, SOU's student-athlete leadership group.

Raider football coach Charlie Hall became involved with the project through retired Villanova University football coach Andy Talley, who heads the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation and a "Get in the Game" program that identifies football teams to head registration drives for Be The Match.