On May 6, the University of Washington community came together for another year of Get in the Game, an annual partnership between UW Athletics, the student-led NMDP chapter at UW, The Whole U and NMDP dedicated to expanding the blood stem cell and marrow donor registry.
The day began with UW Fitness Day celebrations across campus before students, student-athletes, volunteers and community partners gathered in Red Square with a shared goal: help more students learn about blood stem cell and marrow donation and encourage them to join the registry.
In just two hours, 217 UW students registered as potential donors.
A campus-wide effort
In the week leading up to the event, UW Athletics teams took time to learn about NMDP’s mission, the need for more registered donors and the critical role donor diversity plays in helping patients find life-saving matches. Student-athletes joined the registry themselves and helped spread awareness across campus, encouraging fellow students to get involved.
When Get in the Game kicked off in Red Square, the energy was impossible to miss.
Music filled the plaza as volunteers canvassed campus, inviting students to learn more about donation and register with a simple cheek swab. Dubs stopped by for photos, Decathlon and TIAA handed out giveaways, Husky Mobile hosted games and activities, and Bloodworks Northwest shared information about its mission and the importance of blood donation in our communities.
This year, participants received orange Get in the Game shirts in honor of UW women’s soccer goalkeeper Mia Hamant, whose courage and resilience inspired the Husky community throughout her battle with kidney cancer. Throughout the day, students, athletes and volunteers wore the shirts proudly, carrying her spirit with them as they raised awareness and encouraged others to join the registry.
The event was equal parts education, service and celebration—bringing together students from across campus around a cause that has the power to save lives.
Why diversity in the registry matters
For patients with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease and other serious blood disorders, a blood stem cell or marrow transplant can be their best chance for survival.
Finding a matching donor often depends on inherited genetic markers, making it more likely that patients will find a match from someone with a similar ethnic background. Yet many racial and ethnic groups remain underrepresented in donor registries across the country, creating additional barriers for patients searching for a match.
That’s why increasing diversity within the registry is so important.
By reaching students from a wide range of backgrounds and encouraging participation across the UW community, Get in the Game helps strengthen the registry and improve the likelihood that more patients will find the match they need.
A vision that continues to grow
Get in the Game exists today because of the passion and leadership of Dr. Alexes Harris, who helped establish the partnership at UW and has been a driving force behind its growth ever since.
For Alexes, the mission is deeply personal after her own experience beating cancer and awaiting a donor. Through her advocacy and commitment to expanding donor registration, she has helped bring together students, Athletics, campus partners and community organizations around a shared goal: increasing access to life-saving donor matches for patients in need.
This year’s event marked another meaningful milestone for her family. Alexes’ daughter, a now UW student, joined the donor registry during Get in the Game, becoming part of a growing community of UW students and supporters committed to helping others.
The moment served as a powerful reminder of what makes Get in the Game so special. Behind every registration is a person choosing to help a stranger. Behind every donor match is a family hoping for more time. And behind this partnership is a community that continues to show up year after year to make a difference.
The impact continues
While Get in the Game lasts only a few hours, its impact extends far beyond a single day.
Since the partnership began in 2019, 1,341 UW students have joined the NMDP registry through this effort.
Even more inspiring, three UW students who first joined the registry through Get in the Game have since been called to donate to patients in need.
For those patients and their families, a simple decision to register became a life-saving connection. One of those students, Alana, answered the call when she learned she was a match for a patient battling a life-threatening blood disease. Her experience is a powerful reminder that while joining the registry only takes a few minutes, the impact can last a lifetime.
Thank you
Get in the Game would not be possible without the dedication of the student-led NMDP chapter at UW, UW Athletics, Bloodworks Northwest and the many student volunteers who helped make this year’s event possible.
Most importantly, thank you to the 217 students who chose to join the registry this year.
Together, they are helping create a future where more patients—regardless of their ethnicity or background—have a better chance of finding the life-saving match they need.
To learn more about NMDP and how blood stem cell and marrow donation saves lives, visit the NMDP website.
Thank you to BECU, TIAA, Husky Mobile and Decathlon for sponsoring The Whole U!