Our products are used to protect health-giving and life-saving blood supplies, tissues, biologics, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and vaccines, including blood stem cells as they make their way from a donor to a patient battling a blood disease. That’s why we’re supporting Bob Falkenberg, a 12-year leukemia survivor and Be The Match blood stem cell courier, on his most recent fundraising adventure.
Twelve years ago, 64-year-old Bob Falkenberg was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a blood stem cell transplant to save his life. A selfless donor stepped up, and now Bob is thriving and spends time raising awareness and funds for Be The Match, the non-profit organization that connected him with his life-saving match. His most recent adventure: a 3,500 mile bike ride from the Be The Match headquarters in Minneapolis to Jacksonville, Florida with a goal of raising awareness about the need for donors and $25,000 to help Be The Match support patients.
As an avid cyclist, Bob created Team Lifeblood 10 years ago. He took his first fundraising ride 19 months after receiving his transplant and has been doing something every year since. This trip is about spreading hope to patients. Bob mapped out all of the transplant centers that treat patients and picked a route that would allow him to visit the greatest number of transplant centers. His travels took him from Minneapolis to Michigan, over to Boston and now down the east coast.
Today Bob is nearing the end of his two-month trip with a 91-mile ride from Baxley, Georgia to St. Simons, Georgia. Over the weekend he will complete his fundraising ride, and he needs $1,325 to reach his fundraising goal. To learn more about Bob’s story and his journey, or to support Bob’s goals to raise awareness and funds, visit bethematch.org/tourdetc.
