Former Villanova gridiron standout Brian Westbrook took in the Villanova basketball game from court side seats this afternoon, but the game wasn't why Westbrook came back to campus. Tonight is the night of the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation's chief fundraising event, held at the Connolly Center on campus. Despite the poor result on the hardwood, Westbrook was beaming with pride at his former coach's efforts.
"I think Andy has done a great job even when I was still in school and probably since he started the program again," he said about the bone marrow drives run by Talley.
"He has dedicated a lot of time, energy and money getting people involved with the whole Bone Marrow Drive. I think he's saved a lot of lives, he's helped out a lot of people, and any time I can support something like that, its beneficial — not only for me, but for everybody to do that. I'm just proud to be here, happy to be here, and excited about the event."
The Bone Marrow Bash, as it is called is goes from 7pm until midnight and features food, drinks, dancing and will be attended by not only Westbrook, but other Villanova notables from the present and past. Each table in the Villanova Room is adorned with a helmet of one of the 32 college football teams that participate in the foundation's cornerstone "Get in the Game" program that runs bone marrow registry drives at college campuses around the country.
Get in the Game registers thousands for the national marrow registry every year, but only a few are matches, making it imperative to continue growing the database.
There is also a silent auction of memorabilia, including jerseys signed by Westbrook and Villanova's Hall of Fame defensive end, Howie Long.
To find out more about the foundation, go to TalleyBoneMarrow.org. This Spring, the Villanova football team will run its marrow registry drive, on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at the Connolly Center on Villanova's campus.