Watertown to Host 3rd Annual Walk of Life

WATERTOWN, Mass.—On Sat., Sept. 27, the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) will host its third annual New England Walk of Life Walkathon in Watertown. Funds raised will support the instrumental work of the ABMDR, which helps Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching unrelated donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants.

St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School team at the second annual New England Walk of Life Walkathon in Watertown. — St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School team at the second annual New England Walk of Life Walkathon in Watertown.

Bone marrow transplanting procedures are now as simple as a blood draw and pose little to no pain. Raising funds helps ABMDR recruit bone marrow donors, which is the crucial first step towards saving a life.

Walkers will follow a 2.2-mile route beginning at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC) at 47 Nichols Ave. The walkathon will take participants to the “Faire on the Square” town celebration on Main St., where walkers can enjoy the festivities: local food, music, and dance.

The Walk of Life has already attracted the participation of several prominent community organizations, including AGBU Young Professionals, Amaras Art Alliance, Armenian American Pharmacists Association, Armenian Business Network, Boston College Armenian Club, Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association, Daughters of Vartan, Erebuni Armenian School, Erebuni Dance School and Ensemble, Friends of Armenian Cultural Society, Hamazkayin, Lexington High School Armenian Club, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School, and YerazArt Foundation. New organizations are registering every day, and prospective participants are encouraged to join one of these existing teams, start their own team, or walk individually. Whether you choose to walk or sponsor a walker with a monetary contribution, you can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

Last year, the walkathon raised $14,000 and doubled its participants from the year before, with more than 200 walkers. “We hope to continue this growth trend and make the 2014 New England walk an even greater success,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR.

The Dana Farber Cancer Institute of Boston has been a major sponsor of the event since its inception three years ago. This year, the Armenian American Pharmacists Association and Watertown Savings Bank have both generously offered to sponsor the event.

To date, the registry has recruited more than 22,000 donors in 17 countries across 4 continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 16 bone marrow transplants.

To register for the walkathon, sponsor a walker, sponsor the next Walk of Life, or for more information, visit www.abmdr.am/ne-walk or call Tatoul Badalian at (617) 331-0426.