Florida Mayhem announce Gift of Life Marrow Registry partnership

Olivia Richman Published 07/08/2019

The Florida Mayhem, through parent company Misfits Gaming, has announced a partnership with the Gift of Life Marrow Registry.

To help fight blood cancer, Gift of Life registers volunteer bone marrow and stem cell donors. These donations can help cure leukemia, lympoma, sickle cell, and 100 other diseases through transplantation, according to a press release.

The partnership kicks off August 8 at the Blizzard Arena. The Overwatch League team, including players and coaches, will show support by learning more about the organization’s mission and educating the public about the cause. Along with players and coaches, fans in attendance can join the marrow registry. Fans attending other Florida Mayhem gaming events will also be able to become marrow and stem cell donors.

“We are thrilled to team up with Misfits Gaming and the Florida Mayhem, who are ideal partners in the battle against blood cancer and other diseases,” Gift of Life CEO and founder Jay Feinberg said.

He went on to say that this partnership will save more lives than ever before. The esports audience is of paramount importance to Gift of Life. Young donors, aged 18 to 35, provide the most successful outcome for transplant recipients, according to the press release. This is the demographic that transplant physicians request about 85% of the time.

Outside of esports events, the Florida Mayhem will continue to help recruit new registry members on live streams and through social media. Viewers will be encouraged to order a cheek swab kit, which can ultimately end up saving someone’s life.

The OWL competitors will further their efforts by joining the Gift of Life Campus Ambassadors as they host swab drives at colleges and universities across Florida. These volunteers have been aided in 85 life-saving matches by adding 42,350 people to the registry.

This is something that Florida Mayhem president John Kracum admires.

“What I love most about this campaign is that not only does it let us and our community rally around a worthy cause, but it empowers our fans by letting them help others and save lives,” Kracum said.

Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with its headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. This makes the Florida Mayhem an even more fitting representative for their efforts.

The Florida Mayhem have been making Florida quite proud lately. The underdog team completely dominated Season 1 champions London Spitfire in last week’s match. On Saturday, the Mayhem will face the Los Angeles Valiant.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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