Harlequins will be kicking out blood cancer on Good Friday by raising funds for us at their match against Leicester Tigers.
The evening at the Twickenham Stoop will be filled with a festival atmosphere with live music, street acts plus a huge clash between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers, as both teams push for the play-offs in the Aviva Premiership.
Harlequins players, Paul Sackey, Sam Smith, Jordan Turner-Hall and Luke Wallace took some time out from training to show their selfless sides today, tweeting a picture urging fans to donate their spare change to the Anthony Nolan volunteers at the match and unite against blood cancer.
We’re kicking out blood cancer with @AnthonyNolan, who’ll be collecting at our match on Friday against Tigers. #COYQ pic.twitter.com/tOc9VrJwcL
— Harlequins (@QuinsRugbyUnion) April 16, 2014
Harlequins are one of England’s leading Rugby Union teams, with players including England captain Chris Robshaw and Six Nations Player of the Championship, Mike Brown.
Collection will help save lives
Collections at the match will help raise much needed funds to help Anthony Nolan save more lives, by matching remarkable people willing to donate their bone marrow to patients in desperate need of a transplant.
Alex Hildrew, Head of Community Fundraising at Anthony Nolan, said:
"In the time it takes to watch a full rugby match, four people will be diagnosed with blood cancer.
"We are delighted that Harlequins will be standing shoulder to shoulder with us and help boot blood cancer to the side-lines.
"It costs us £100 to recruit, test and look after each potential bone marrow donor – any one of them could be a lifesaving match for someone with blood cancer.
"The more money raised by the supporters, the more lives we can save."
Supporters are also being urged to join the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register and potentially cure someone of blood cancer.
"We urgently need more fit young men aged 16–30 on the register, as they are most likely to be chosen to donate in a transplant, but they are underrepresented on our register," explained Alex. "It’s great to have the opportunity to get this lifesaving message out to young rugby fans through Harlequins."
Sign up to the register
To join the Anthony Nolan register, you must be aged between 16 and 30, and be in general good health.