Students at St. Clair College are trying to increase the stem cell registry donor base by joining the Get Swabbed Campaign.

It’s part of Canadian Blood Services’ fifth annual campaign bringing together students from secondary and post-secondary schools and the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network.

One goal of the swabbing events is to add more young male donors to the network. Young men of diverse backgrounds between ages 17 and 35 are especially needed.

Research shows that younger stem cells from male donors can provide better effects on patients post-transplant.

“A quick brush of the insides of the cheek using a swab that looks much like an elongated Q-Tip, is all it takes from participants at a Get Swabbed event,” said Colin Topliffe, one of the event organizers at St Clair College. “It takes very little time but the impact can be life-changing.”

St. Clair College will host a campus Get Swabbed event on Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Cafeteria-Multi-Purpose Room .

Last year’s campaign at the college was record breaking, registering 313 potential donors.

If students can’t attend the event they can play the new online interactive game accessible to register at www.onematch.ca/join.

More than 329,000 Canadians are currently registered on the OneMatch Network, yet nearly 900 patients continue to search for a matching stem cell donor.

In Windsor and Essex County, there are currently five to six patients with blood cancers who will probably require a stem cell transplant.