MUSIC FOR YOUR MARROW
A Benefit Concert to support the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Service
Saturday March 27th 2010 at Grappa’s Cellar
8pm – 2am    $188 includes one free drink
Advance tickets are available at Grappa’s Cellar

Music For Your Marrow is a benefit concert featuring an eclectic and power packed line up of Hong Kong’s indie talent coming together with the folks at Grappa’s Cellar to: raise awareness for the Hong Kong bone marrow donor registry service; to raise some money to donate to Hong Kong Red Cross in support of this service; and most importantly to encourage people to register as bone marrow donors.

Featuring:

• DP
• Poubelle International
• 6 Pack of Wolves
• Reign Lee
• Sushi Robot
• Brown Note Collective
• Logo
• Songs For Children

Great artists, great venue, great cause equals a great show!

Organizer: Babatunji Heath
Beneficiary organization: Hong Kong Red Cross

The artists are all donating their performances and all profits from ticket sales will be donated to the Hong Kong Red Cross to help them continue the great work they have been doing for the Hong Kong  bone marrow donor registry since 1991.

Why this benefit now?
In late October of 2009 Maggie Chang, the bass player for Bone Table and El Destroyo, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and has been undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment these last few months and is now waiting for a bone marrow transplant that will hopefully bring the cancer under control for good.  As her #1 fan, band mate and husband I am very grateful that we live in Hong Kong where hospital care is affordable and the doctors have a lot of experience treating this type of cancer.  We are optimistic that the folks at Queen Mary Hospital will help her to beat this.

The outpouring of support from family, friends and fans has been stupendous, and like me, they want to do something to help, but what?  It all seems to be taken care of.  What can we do?

Well, over these past few months we've learned that for many leukemia patients finding a matching bone marrow donor is very difficult and one thing that is needed is more registered donors.  This brought our attention to the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry (HKBMDR), a service under Hong Kong Red Cross and the work they do.  So, we decided to do what we do best and rallied our fellow musicians and music fans to organize a great show that will raise awareness about the HKBMDR, promote the work they do, encourage folks to register as donors and raise a bit of money to help them run their operation.  We hope you will help us spread the word.

About The Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry (HKBMDR)
(http://www.ha.org.hk/rcbts/template?series=66&article=239)

Why register as a Bone Marrow Donor?
Every year, more than a thousand adults and children in Hong Kong are diagnosed with leukemia and other serious blood diseases. Some of these diseases can be life-threatening, but are not always incurable. For many patients, bone marrow transplantation may be the only hope for a cure. However, a matched donor has to be identified before a transplantation can be performed. Some patients are fortunate enough to have a suitable donor within their families, yet others will need to find unrelated persons to help.

How can I register?
Registering is easy!  The Public can register as a marrow donor by donating a blood sample at any one of the blood donor centers of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS). Information of registered donors is then kept in the registry. When a donor search is initiated, the BTS will try to find a matched donor in the registry.

The HKBMDR is linked with the international bone marrow registry so you may be able to help cancer patients around the world.

For registration as bone marrow donor, please visit any one of blood donor centers of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service.  Hotline enquiry: 2710-1333 or http://www.ha.org.hk/rcbts