Spreading Awareness at the Pasadena Certified Farmers Market Victory Park Location

On June 27, 2026, Matches4Minorities (M4M) hosted an impactful donor recruitment drive at the Pasadena Certified Farmers Market, located at Victory Park. During this event, our team worked to address the critical need for donor diversity by providing attendees with both traditional, in-person swabbing services and a digital registration option.

A lively group from m4m assembles in Pasadena, coming together in advocacy and smiles beneath a canopy, holding colorful signs to promote their cause.

By partnering with DKMS, we aimed to educate the public on the realities of the bone marrow registry and advocate for patients who currently face significant disparities in finding a life-saving match. Because human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers—which determine the success of a transplant—are inherited, a patient's best chance of finding a match often lies with a donor of the same ethnic background. Unfortunately, minority groups remain underrepresented in the current national donor pool, making grassroots outreach at community hubs like the Victory Park Farmers Market essential for closing this life-saving gap.

A huge thank you to everyone who visited our booth at Victory Park to learn more about the registration process and to all who took the step to join the registry!