Bone marrow drive to aid musher, father

ON FRIDAY: Places in state will test for donors to save two Alaskans.

By ANN POTEMPA

Anchorage Daily News

Published: December 29, 2005

Last Modified: December 29, 2005 at 03:03 AM

A bone marrow drive will be held at various locations around the state on Friday to help dog musher Susan Butcher and fellow Alaskan Michael Donaldson.

Butcher, a four-time Iditarod champion, announced early this month that she had acute myelogenous leukemia. Donaldson is a father of four who is suffering from his third bout of lymphoma. Without a bone marrow transplant, he has about six months to live, according to the Blood Bank of Alaska.

People who want to find out if their cells match well enough to be considered for a bone marrow donation can get a simple blood test at the following locations:

• Anchorage Blood Center, 4000 Laurel St., from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Dimond Mall Blood Center, 800 E. Dimond Blvd., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., across from the Dimond Theater. A bone marrow and blood drive also will be held on the second floor above the ice rink.

• Fairbanks Blood Center, 1650 Cowles St., Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. People can stop by Suite B from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A bone marrow drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the McGowan Room.

• Mat-Su Blood Center, 851 E. Westpoint Drive in Wasilla, Lakeview Professional Building, Suite B-9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Iditarod Headquarters, Mile 2.2 Knik-Goose Bay Road in Wasilla, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• Kenai Peninsula Blood Center, 44539 Sterling Highway in Soldotna, Blazy Mall, Suite 212, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• South Peninsula Hospital, 4300 Bartlett St. in Homer, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, call 222-5651. A complete listing of these locations is at www.bloodbankofalaska.org/news/donaldson_drive.html. For more information about Butcher, go to www.susanbutcher.com.