A local Blood Cancer charity are promising an evening of glitz and glamour in support of the DKMS Beds team, with a Bedford Bhangra Ball hosted by television personalities Harjap Bhangal and Rosie Garcha.
The Bhangra Ball at Empire Nightclub in March will also include live performances from PBN, Shin from DCS and Saloni. Former Bedford Modern School boy and England Cricketer, Monty Panesar, who is an ambassador for organ donation, will also be coming along.
Organiser, Poonam Chand says the ball, on 1 March, will help pay for the registration of potential life-saving stem cell donors: “Many patients never find the life-saving blood stem cell donor match they need, but this isn’t because a match doesn’t exist – it’s simply because there aren’t enough people registered as donors.”
Every 20 minutes a person is diagnosed with the illness. One of those was five year old Kaiya Patel of Northwood who tragically died earlier this year, and whose appeal to find a stem cell donor inspired Poonam Chan to campaign locally.
So far DKMS Beds has helped to get 600 potential stem cell donors added to the register.
While DKMS Beds campaign to get as many people on the register as possible, more people from Black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds are desperately needed.
Only 16 per cent of those currently on the register are from these backgrounds.
Volunteers will be registering stem cell donors at Bedford Heights on Manton Lane on 25th January 8-10am and 12-2pm.
Read: Blood Cancer Charity makes urgent call for donation registration.
Tickets for the Ball at Empire Nightclub, Bedford are £40, and include a three-course dinner. You can get yours at www.dkms-bhangra.eventbrite.co.uk.
