When FC Bayern Women host FC Carl Zeiss Jena in front of a home crowd on Sunday, the players will not only be battling for important points on the pitch, but alongside the entire FC Bayern family against a much bigger challenge off the pitch: blood cancer. In collaboration with the German Bone Marrow Donor Centre (DKMS), the reigning German champions are raising awareness of the importance of stem cell donation.
On Matchday 10, anyone with an interest will have the opportunity to register as a potential stem cell donor free of charge. With two stands on the Campus forecourt, it will be possible to do this both in person and online via this link set up for FC Bayern. A stadium ticket is of course not required to register.
Dallmann: "It's a matter of honour to support the fight against blood cancer"
It was already evident during the week just how important the issue is to the entire team: numerous players took the time between the Champions League, Bundesliga and training sessions to register as potential stem cell donors. Lena Oberdorf summed up the relevance of this commitment: "We often talk about big opponents in football. But off the pitch, many people have to face a much bigger challenge in the fight against blood cancer. That's why it's important to me to be registered with the DKMS as a potential stem cell donor," said the 22-year-old.
Linda Dallmann, who attaches particular importance to the work DKMS does feels the same way: "The more donors that register with DKMS, the greater the chance of saving lives. For us, it is a matter of honour to support the fight against leukaemia and we hope that many people will join us."
FC Bayern has long been committed to the fight against cancer. The club recently took part in many activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid Foundation), including a special quiz with FCB partner Allianz to raise awareness of this important issue.
FCB Women's Munich sent out a signal in the fight against breast cancer with a special-edition jersey in October:
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