Ninth annual blood and bone marrow drive returns to the Lani Kai July 25
The ninth annual Kenny Conidaris Blood and Bone Marrow Drive will be taking place at the Lani Kai Island Resort, and all of the Southwest Florida community is encouraged to attend.
Scheduled for Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., those attending the drive can look forward to plenty of raffles, prizes, food, drink, music and more.
Now 21 years old, since Kenny Conidaris’ Severe Aplastic Anemia diagnosis almost 10 years ago, his grandfather, Bob Conidaris, owner of the Lani Kai Island Resort, along with the Big Red Bus, have organized a massive, annual blood and bone marrow drive, in the hopes of finding a bone marrow match for Kenny and other young children like him, to help relieve them of this rare condition.
Members of his family have all had their marrow tested to see if any were a match, but sadly, none were. The Conidaris is still hoping someone out there in our area matches his bone marrow, so this young man can finally get on the path to recovery.
Those who have signed up on the national bone marrow registry during the annual blood and bone marrow drive in the past are still encouraged to come by, donate blood, have some fun and support a good local cause. There will be plenty of prizes, food, drinks, music and more to keep you entertained throughout the afternoon.
For those who haven’t yet become a bone marrow registrar, it’s very simple. You fill out a form and have the inside of your mouth swabbed. That’s it. From there, you’ll enter the national bone marrow registry, which has more than 10 million potential donors.
All donors that day will receive a voucher for a free movie ticket and wellness check-up, including blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse and cholesterol screening.
If you, your friends or family aren’t a match for Kenny , perhaps you’re a match for someone else who desperately needs it. For more information about the upcoming drive, call Kathy Conidaris, 239-851-0701, or the Lani Kai, 239-463-3111. For more information about this disease or to read about Kenny’s struggle, visit CaringBridge.org/visit/kennyconidaris11 or APlastic.org.