Gift of Life’s Play Your Part initiative provides a simple and easy way for athletic teams to host safe, voluntary stem cell registry drives that give student-athletes the opportunity to help save lives. We handle the logistics so you can stay focused on your team.
Hosting a registry drive requires minimal time and no disruption to training schedules. All you have to do is schedule the date. Our team coordinates around your schedule and provides educational materials and swab kits for your players. After they complete a quick cheek swab, the kits are returned, and we handle any follow-up and donor impact tracking for you. Most registration drives take place during team practice, and swabbing takes less than five minutes to complete.
Your teams have the power to lead and serve together both on and off the field. Play Your Part works alongside you and your coaching staff to create opportunities for your athletes that will help them develop as players and young adults.
Participating in a meaningful cause reinforces shared values and strengthens bonds among teammates.
Team captains and athlete leaders can help champion the initiative, building communication and leadership skills.
Teams demonstrate their connection to their community through lifesaving service on and off campus.
Participation is entirely voluntary. Student-athletes receive accurate information curated by our in-house medical professionals, and they decide individually whether to join the registry.
We know this is a lot of information all at once, but we’re here to support you every step of the way. Here you’ll find answers to most frequently asked questions about participation, your involvement, and hosting drives. Don’t see your question? Feel free to ask us below!
Ask usNo, participation is entirely voluntary. Student-athletes receive education about donation, and it is up to them to choose whether to join the registry.
Your department’s primary role is providing access and communication support. Our team manages event logistics, educational materials, and registration coordination.
All registry processes are medically supervised and follow established safety protocols. Educational materials clearly outline the process and voluntary nature of participation.
No, educational materials, event handouts, and swab kits are provided by Gift of Life and sent to you in time for your drive. Sending the materials and completed swabs is just as simple as we also handle the costs of return shipping.
We provide regular updates on registration numbers and, when applicable, lifesaving matches and transplants resulting from your program’s participation.
When entire teams join the registry, they demonstrate leadership beyond competition. It’s a simple way to turn your platform as an athlete into a real-world impact.
SAINT PETER, Minn. - For Kylie Scott, helping has become a way of life. Whether it's on the ice, dishing out assists to her women's hockey teammates, in the classroom, majoring in Biology with a desire to go to medical school, or in extracurriculars like Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), Scott helps wherever she goes.
Last fall, Scott helped sponsor an event for Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating blood stem cell and bone marrow matches for potential transplants, thanks to a partnership with Chi Alpha Sigma. Her donor drive, hosted in October of 2024, identified a lifesaving match for a 33-year-old man battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Now, a year later, that same drive has helped to find another match, this time a 55-year-old man battling Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.
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Gift of Life’s mission is to cure blood cancer through cellular therapy.
At Gift of Life, we believe that every person battling blood cancer deserves a second chance at life – and we are determined to make it happen. We are singularly passionate about engaging the public to help us get everyone involved in curing blood cancer, whether as a donor, a volunteer, or a financial supporter. It all begins with one remarkable person, one life-changing swab and one huge win – finding a match and a cure.
Hear from student athletes who saved lives
