.Steps to Save Lives with ZBT
In Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life at Purdue, organizations are challenged to think of ways they can impact local, national and global communities. While some philanthropic work can involve large-scale event planning, other endeavors that may seem simple can have a lasting and wide-reaching impact.
The Alpha Alpha Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity (ZBT) is one organization within FSCL that stands as a testament to how what may seem like a small act can make a huge impact elsewhere – and even save a life. The brothers of ZBT are collaborating with Gift of Life Marrow Registry to assist in the critical work of registering potential bone marrow donors for life-saving blood cancer treatments.
“Everyone knows somebody who has or has had cancer and a lot of times, you feel like you can’t do anything,” says Kiefer Earl, president of Purdue’s Alpha Alpha Chapter of ZBT. “You might be able to go to the doctor with them and support them through chemo, but it still feels like it’s not enough. We’re setting up here, getting a jump start on finding a donor and it’s really exciting to know that it really helps.”
For many blood cancers, immune system disorders and some inherited conditions, bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplants are needed to save a patient’s life. For transplants to work, the donor and the patient need to have matching immune system factors, known as Human Leukocyte Antigens. To identify matches, individuals can complete a cheek swab that is analyzed and entered into a national registry that can be accessed by healthcare professionals. By comparing those in the registry with patients, healthcare professionals can find matches and arrange for a donation that can save someone’s life.
The Alpha Alpha Chapter of ZBT partners with Gift of Life to recruit students to complete cheek swabs, adding to the more than 40 million people in the national registry. Brothers from ZBT work with Gift of Life at Purdue, a registered student organization, to table, volunteer and drum up enthusiasm for events. The brothers of ZBT will often draw additional attention to events with “Best Cheeks on Campus” shirts and giant, inflatable swabs. 
What may seem like a simple act can have a huge impact. At least two individuals who have completed cheek swabs for the Gift of Life registry through the Alpha Alpha Chapter have gone on to find matches with patients and donate marrow for life-saving operations. The fraternity has added more than 1,000 individuals to the national registry, providing an even greater potential for life-saving matches in the future.
“From a personal standpoint, sitting in class and getting an email that’s sent to all of our executive board, our national headquarters and so forth to let us know that they found a donor from one of our drives is amazing,” Earl says. “A few weeks later, another email came through from the same people letting us know the transplant went through and we helped save a 74-year old’s life. Sitting in class reading that – it’s just a ‘wow’ moment because we went out, set up a tabling event, acted a little goofy with some inflatable swabs and we just saved somebody’s life. That hits home.”
Members of ZBT are quick to credit Mariah Ross, president of Gift of Life at Purdue, for their partnership and enthusiasm. While ZBT and Gift of Life enjoy partnerships at the national level, the recent founding of the student organization at Purdue has had a significant impact on the frequency of events, education and outreach on campus. Gift of Life at Purdue has presented at the ZBT house, collected cheek swabs from fraternity members and coordinated volunteer efforts for events. 
ZBT is one of several organizations within FSCL that support Gift of Life. The Purdue Zeta Tau Alpha, Alpha Epsilon Pi and Kappa Alpha Theta chapters have also volunteered their time and efforts to aid the organization. For example, recent events hosted by Zeta Tau Alpha and Alpha Epsilon Pi have resulted in transplants for 63 and 72-year olds battling Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. In addition to the impact already being made, the efforts of these FSCL organizations have the potential to save more lives in the future.
No matter the connection, enthusiasm for the program remains high. Some students, such as Seth Anderson, programming director for the Alpha Alpha Chapter of ZBT, see the connection with Gift of Life as an extension of their academic and career pursuits.
“I’m on the pre-physician’s assistant track,” Anderson explains. “Helping save lives is something that I’m involved in and want to do. Getting people to swab and save other people is related to what I like to do.”
Fraternity brothers are making plans to ensure the existing partnerships with the national and local Gift of Life organizations remains strong long after they graduate. Members of the fraternity attended a seminar at the national ZBT conference to share best practices and learn more about Gift of Life, and are creating documentation and procedures to ensure the partnerships with the national organization and student organization at Purdue continue.
“As we’re aging out of the fraternity, we just want to make sure that the next people that are taking our positions are ready to continue these relationships” says Michael Yancy, philanthropy chair for the Alpha Alpha Chapter. “We’re passing down phone numbers, emails and contacts of the people we’ve been working with and introducing them to the organization. We want to continue those relationships and have goals that are attainable but still challenging.”
The continued dedication of the brothers of ZBT exemplifies their fraternity’s pillar of social responsibility, which requires the individual to commit himself and accept his responsibility to participate. The partnerships they’ve built demonstrate the wide-reaching impact that an organization can have even through what may seem like small endeavor.