13th annual Kenny Conidaris Blood and Bone Marrow drive to be held July 27 at the Lani Kai Island Resort
The 13th annual Kenny Conidaris Blood and Bone Marrow drive seeks to not only find a bone marrow match for Conidaris, but also to find one for 14-year-old Dalton Siderno, who lives in Naples. Siderno was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and PNH just this April. Those with aplastic anemia have bone marrow that does not make enough blood cells for the body, and PNH is a rare blood disease that causes red blood cells to break apart. Siderno needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. The event will be this Saturday, July 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This benefit has always been held to help find a bone marrow match for Kenny Conidaris, who’s battled aplastic anemia since he was 11 years old. Luckily, although a match still has not been found for Kenny, he manages to lead a full life. Conidaris recently married and had a baby. He works in the medical field.
There will be games, toys and prizes for children, a dunk tank, live entertainment, a cookout lunch and donuts for donors, along with snacks and others treats. All donors will have the chance to enter and win numerous raffles and gift baskets, resort stays and more.
Back by popular demand this year, local nature conservationist Trapper Ray and volunteers with the Calusa Nature Center will return. They’ll be bringing a de-skunked skunk, a python and some baby alligators that event-goers can safely pet and take photos with that day.
Lee Memorial Blood Center will be gathering the blood donations. Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a 501c3 non-profit that will be taking swabs for the bone marrow registry. You must be aged 18 to 55 in order to register.
All that is required to become a potential marrow donor is a swab of the inside of your mouth. For those who can’t make it out to the benefit but would still like to join the bone marrow registry, visit the Gift of Life Marrow registry site at GiftOfLife.org. and a free mouth-swab kit will be mailed to you.
“Let’s help Dalton — please stop by, get swabbed and be a hero for this child! He needs YOU,” said Kathy Conidaris, Kenny’s mom and the lead coordinator of the annual event. “Our event started as a way of trying to find a bone-marrow match for Kenny, but since then, with such an amazing turnout of donors year after year, we want to continue hosting this event to not only help Kenny find a match, but help Dalton and the thousands of others who need one, as well as help supply local blood banks to help save the lives of so many.”