The Gift of Hope: Presidential Inaugural Committee National Day of Service

January 19, 2009 was the Presidential Inaugural Committee's National Day of Service, and on this day, Americans, in DC, and throughout the nation, rose to the call for action. Americans of every color, were noble. Americans of every color, were selfless.

Americans of every color renewed their promise to public service by giving a gift that money can't buy.

Americans gave "The Gift of Hope."

Americans, citizens and not yet citizens, 18-60, registered to donate their bone marrow to save a human life.

Why?

Because all Americans should have a 90% chance of finding a "perfect match" - a "perfect bone marrow match."

In 2008, African-Americans have a 60% likelihood of finding a perfect match, while Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the 2nd least likely, Hispanics the 3rd least likely and Native Americans the 4th least likely, to find a perfect match on the National Marrow Donor Program's (NMDP's) Registry.

That's less than an "A" grade and it doesn't have to be that way in the 2009 Year of Change.

Minorities could have a better chance, if not an equal chance, of finding a "perfect match" - and a far greater chance of survival.

That's why Asian American Pacific Islanders for Obama, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress (APAP), APIAVote, Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA), Asian American Donor Program (AADP), Asian Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M) and South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters (SAMAR), joined forces to mount a four-day Call to Action for the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee's National Day of Service.

Afterall, public service is not limited to one day; public service is our nation's call to action each and every day, 24/7.... 25/8.

That's why the UC Davis undergraduate and medical students helped AAPIs for Obama and APAMSA launch our AAPIs for Obama Presidential Inaugural Committee's National Day of Service by inviting the Asian American Donor Fund to conduct a bone marrow drive at at the Paul Hom Asian Clinic in Sacramento, the oldest Asian-American free clinic in America, on Saturday, January 17, 2009. It was a "perfect match" because the Paul Hom Asian Clinic was founded by Dr. Paul Hom in the 60's as a grassroots tribute to public service. Dr. Hom went to law school with the late Congressmember Robert Matsui, the beloved Sacramento-based Congressmember, who passed away from a bone-marrow related condition, and whose wife, Congressmember Doris Matsui, is introducing bone-marrow related legislation in the 111th Congress.

That's why Long Beach City Councilmembers Dee Andrews and Suja Lowenthal helped secure a booth for Asian Miracle Marrow Matches and APAMSA UCLA and APAMSA UCI at the Martin Luther King Day Parade and Health Pavilion in Long Beach, California on Saturday, January 17, 2009.

That's why the South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters (SAMAR) conducted a bone marrow drive in Virginia on Sunday, January 18, 2009.

That's why APAMSA John Hopkins Medical School, APIAVote, APAs for Progress, AAPIs for Obama, NDMP, AADP, A3M and SAMAR, formed a collaboration to conduct a bone marrow drive at the APIAVote Town Hall at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington DC on Monday, January 19, 2009, the official Presidential Inaugural Committee's National Day of Service.

That's why Governor Gary Locke, a featured speaker at the APIAVote Town Hall, took it upon himself to engage everyone at the APIAVote Town Hall, to register to donate their bone marrow and/or "pledge it forward" by organizing a bone marrow drive in their respective AAPI communities.

That's why AADP joined forces with APAMSA Stanford University, APAs for Progress, APIAVote and Family Bridges, to conduct a bone marrow drive at the Renaissance Plaza in Oakland, California on Monday, January 19, 2009, the official Presidential Inaugural Committee's National Day of Service. The Oakland Chinatown drive featured a Chinese Musical Ensemble and TV "Survivor" celebrity Yul Kwon. Yul is absolutely passionate about inspiring Asian American Pacific Islanders and other minorities to donate bone marrow for the NMDP, because his college roommate passed away because he couldn't find a bone marrow match in time.

This AAPIs for Obama National Day of Service hundreds of AAPIs registered to donate their bone marrow, and dozens of AAPI leaders and elected officials "Pledged It Forward" (agreed to host and/or organize a bone marrow drive in their respective community).

This AAPIs for Obama National Day of Service was a success because "national service is not just one day of the year, it's every day of the year."

This AAPIs for Obama National Day of Service is about civic engagement, and the renewal of America's promise, each and every day.