NEWPORT, R.I.-- What kind of legacy do you want to leave when you graduate college? For Vaughn Randle, Jacoby Smith, Christopher Tall and Dominic Zuccalo participating in athletics is one form of lasting impact, but having the opportunity to save a life and going through with it is far greater.

"Four teammates gave this year so that was very cool that we got to go through it together," said Tall. "It's one of the greatest things regardless of how the season goes; we're able to save lives so that's the best possible outcome." 

Every year Salve Regina University Football holds the "Be the Match" blood and bone marrow registry drive in front of the Rodgers Recreation Center sponsored by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). The organization is a global nonprofit that aims to help save the lives of patients with blood cancers and disorders. Getting involved is easy and requires only a swab of cheek cells to be entered into the registry. Salve football's drive began over ten years ago, and since then numerous Seahawks have followed through with the process to save a life.

This past year Randle, Smith, Tall and Zuccalo all received a call alerting them that they were a potential match. 

"I did the cheek swab outside of Rodgers in April of 2024," recalled Randle. "A couple of months later the hospital called me. They let me know I was chosen as a potential match. They asked a lot of questions; it was sort of like a background check. I got blood drawn in September and wasn't chosen until December. I was getting blood drawn every couple of months."

The whole Salve football team gets involved in the drive, which encourages other Salve students and community members to sign up.

"Since the whole team does the cheek swab together it makes it easier," noted Smith. "If I was a student here and I saw the drive, I would be a lot less willing to go up and do it. Since the team was doing it and there were a lot of people in the community that helps for everyone and makes it easier for everyone to do it." 

The donation process is slightly different for everyone who becomes a potential match. Randle and Smith were able to complete all of the procedures locally while Tall flew to Florida in the final stages of donation. 

"I had to go through all the blood work," remembered Tall. "I got through the first process and was a match so I kept on going through it. I ended up being able to go down to Florida to donate blood in December 2024, to save the life of a woman who was suffering from Leukemia. It was a wild experience because I donated in three different states. I started in Rhode Island, back home in New York and I flew down to Florida to donate the blood."  

NMDP covers all the costs involved in donating and allows a donor to stop at any time should they ever feel the need to or experience health related implications. 

"The doctors will tell you that you're the last line of support," said Randle. "When somebody has cancer first doctors will look to family as matches, if if that doesn't work they will search all around the world for people. Then you appear in the database as a potential match. As you get closer and closer to the donation date you can step out if you want. I never had any doubts but hearing that you're essentially the final hope is impactful." 

Four donors from Salve football in one year is a record number for the program. Randle, Smith, Tall and Zuccalo collectively noted that donating is not as extensive as they initially thought and is relatively painless. Their hope is for others who are considering entering the registry to follow through and get involved. 

"I did have to miss a few days of practice, and I couldn't lift heavy for a little while but I got to save a life so it was absolutely worth it," said Smith. "When I got the call, it was cool. I never thought that saving someone's life was something I'd be able to do. It was great to see that I could actually save a life if I helped." 

"It was one of the best feelings I will ever experience in my life," continued Tall. "Being able to save a life—you don't get to do that very often, and I got the call, and I knew I was going to do this. I recommend it to anyone who is ever a potential match." 

For many athletes, carrying your team through a gritty win late in the season is something for which they will always feel pride. However, for Randle, Smith, Tall and Zuccalo the knowledge that they carried someone who was struggling through lifesaving treatments will hold just as much, if not more, weight.

"This means a lot to me especially being a student who is going into the medical field," said Zuccalo. "The ability to help someone in their time of need through a donation allows for the selfless connection to save someone's life. I know this is a rare opportunity to be matched and I'm glad I can make a difference in someone's life. This program has helped so many and I am already donating plasma regularly. I know the struggles some people face to have proper medical care, and with doing this we can pass that threshold for saving a life with the best-defined treatment." 

For more information on NMDP or to join the registry visit nmdp.org.