Christina Lee, Head Photography Editor

After a hard-fought battle with leukemia for two years, Yale women’s ice hockey player Mandi Schwartz ’10 died on April 3, 2011. To continue honoring her legacy, Yale Athletics will hold the 16th annual Mandi Schwartz Drive to register Yale students for the bone marrow registry on Beinecke Plaza and outside of Steep Cafe on April 17. 

Schwartz was a member of the women’s ice hockey team and was loved by many in the Yale community. During her junior year, she was diagnosed with leukemia, and the search for a blood stem cell transplant began immediately. 

“It’s such an easy process for such a great cause,” Phoenix Grant ’27, a member of the football team, told the News.

With the help of several members of Yale faculty, the women’s ice hockey team, and the football team, the drive began that spring and has continued ever since.

Tragically, Schwartz never found a perfect match. 

Her story, however, touched many members of the Yale community and encouraged people to continue fighting leukemia in her honor. 

“Those of us who knew Mandi and knew what her struggle was like when she was looking for a match and could not find a donor, we would never want another cancer patient or their family to go through something like that,” Sam Rubin, media coordinator at Yale and board member of the Mandi Schwartz Foundation, told the News. 

So far, the Yale registry has added nearly 10,000 potential donors to the National Marrow Donor Program. 

The ultimate goal of this effort is to create a registry with enough depth that any patient that is ever looking for a genetic match can find one. 

The best part of this drive is how simple it is to join the program. This message was reiterated by all the student-athletes who the News interviewed. 

“The biggest thing that needs to be clarified is the process,” Maddy Zavalick ’26 told the News. 

Many people take one look at the drive and believe that they have to donate blood to join, when that is not the case. Instead, all a candidate has to do is scan a QR code, sign up online, and swab their cheek. That swab is given to a drive representative and sent off to be added to the registry. 

“It maybe takes three minutes,” Zavalick added. 

Once they’ve joined the program, candidates will be evaluated for leukemia patients who require a blood transfusion.

If a potential match is discovered, the candidate will be called for additional testing to learn if they could save a life. 

“Right now, Yale is leading in the nation with 102 lives saved total,” Grant proudly told the News. “It’s awesome that we have a coach that has been a part of this and has saved a life.” 

Paul Rice ’09, who captained the football team in 2009 and now is a part of Coach Reno’s staff, was called up to donate in 2013 and continues to tell the team about it yearly. 

Schwartz’s cause is infectious. This year the field hockey team was so moved by her mission, that instead of only having two to three representatives on the committee, the entire team decided to join in the hopes of making the most significant impact possible. 

Along with field hockey and women’s ice hockey, football has been one of the most prominent advocates for this drive since its inception.

“My dad’s best friend died of leukemia, and my middle name is his name,” Robby Tattersall ’27, one of the football players leading this year’s drive, shared with the News. 

Cancer has touched so many lives of students at Yale and has encouraged so many to give back. Yale is at the forefront of the drive, given the university’s connection to Schwartz, and this is something the committee is incredibly proud of. 

This year, the committee is hoping to get anywhere from 600 to 1000 sign-ups from primarily first-year students, as once you join the program, you cannot register again. 

The committee aims to uphold this standard of effort and participation every single year as an example for other schools to learn about how vital this drive can be to someone. 

“Save a life,” Zavalick concluded in her interview.

This year’s drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Beinecke Plaza and Steep Cafe on April 17. Anyone who cannot attend the drive in person at Yale can go to the NMDP website and register or text “YaleSaves” to 61474.