In 2022, the Middlebury football team hosted its first "Be The Match" blood and bone marrow registry drive sponsored through the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The Panthers won the organization's rookie of the year award, registering the most people in  Division III with over 500 donors. To date, the team has added nearly 1,000 people to the registry.
 
Since the annual program was brought to campus, four Middlebury students have matched and successfully donated through the program. The most recent Panther was football player Liam High '25, who donated blood stem cells earlier this year.
 

"The original sign-up for the program felt like a team effort," said High. "We had a huge tent set up and tried to get as many people involved as possible. I remember getting a call on New Year's Eve after doing the first round of bloodwork, and I was shocked that I was the primary match for someone. It was a very rewarding experience and I was happy to participate. It's a great feeling to know you could be saving someone's life with your donation."

 
About NMDP
Every three minutes, someone is diagnosed with a life-threatening blood cancer. Many of these patients rely on a marrow donation to save their lives. More than 12,000 patients each year don't have a matching marrow donor within their family. They depend on NMDP to help find someone to give them hope for a cure.
 
The Get in the Game. Save a Life program raises awareness of this need and invites students, faculty, staff and the community to join the Be The Match Registry. To sign up as a committed registry member, people need to meet age and health guidelines and be willing to donate to any patient in need. Registration involves completing a health history form and giving a swab of cheek cells. Those of diverse racial or ethnic heritage are especially needed because donors and patients who share the same ancestry are most likely to match.
 
For people with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma or other deadly diseases – a cure exists. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. People can contribute to the cure by becoming a member of the Be The Match Registry, a financial contributor or a volunteer. Be The Match provides patients and their families one-on-one support, education, and guidance before, during and after transplant.
 
Be The Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program^® (NMDP), a nonprofit organization that manages the Be The Match registry, educates health care professionals and conducts research so more lives can be saved. To learn more about the cure, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1 (800) MARROW-2.
 
Upcoming Drive
The football program will host its annual drive in May of 2026, with a date to be announced soon.