“After her granddaughter, Jada, was born with a rare form of cancer in infants and was given a bone marrow transplant, Jeana Moore, a fellow Rotarian from Deer Park, WA, established the Jada Bascom Foundation to bring attention to the tremendous need  for bone marrow donors, and began walks around the country to register donors.

 

     These weren’t just walks in the park!  Jeana has walked over 4000 miles in the last 10 years, all for this cause.! Her first major walk was from Seattle to Los Angeles and then all the way to New York City, with a backpack and a sign attached that reads “Text LIFE to 61474.”  During her walks, she sleeps in a tent she carries, or, when lucky, is able to stay in a donated home or hotel.

 

     To this point, Jeana has signed up over 5000 donors to the National Bone Marrow Donor program!

 

    

Bikers Fighting Cancer donated money to her expenses in past walks and she has remained in contact with some of those members over the years.  A Past President of the Yuma Bikers Club has become a friend and Jeana has decided to give back.

 

     Jeana began her current walk on January 24 near Yuma and will continue through Gila Bend, Ajo, the Tohono O’odham Nation, Tucson, Casa Grande, finishing at Children’s Hospital in Phoenix on March 7.  A whopping total of 465 miles!

 

     She feels that this walk can benefit because the National Bone Marrow Registry doesn’t have many Hispanic or Native Americans who donate, and the chances for them to receive a bone marrow transplant are less than 50%.

 

     What an incredible example of how one Rotarian can have such an impact on making the world better!  She expects to be at the University of Arizona on March 4, Tempe Fire Station 1 on March 6, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital on March 8, spreading the word and gathering donors.  She would love to have any to come out to show their support.”