San Francisco 49ers Want Your Blood — For A Good Cause
By Kevin Saito
The San Francisco 49ers have partnered with a biotech firm and are giving fans a chance to win some great prizes in exchange for your blood.
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It’s sometimes said that football and blood often go hand in hand. And in this case, the San Francisco 49ers are making that old axiom true, even for fans. The 49ers have partnered with a biotech firm based out of Boston by the name of Orig3n, and beginning with the first preseason game at home, will be asking fans to donate their blood for a good cause, and in exchange, have a chance to win some really fantastic gifts.
Orig3n is launching the “Faithful DNA” program this year to support genetic and regenerative medical research. Representatives will be setting up at Levi’s Stadium during home games this year and will be encouraging fans to donate blood to LifeCapsule, which is reportedly, the world’s biggest crowdsourced cell repository which is being used to further human genome research. You can also purchase one of the company’s LifeProfile genetic assessments.
And in exchange for giving up some of your blood, fans will have the chance to win some terrific prizes like autographed football gear, “draft day” experiences, or a number of other things true fans will be able to appreciate.
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The partnership between the 49ers and Orig3n is a first of its kind in professional sports, but one that the 49ers seem genuinely excited about. Said San Francisco COO Ethan Casson:
"“This is the first agreement of its kind and we’re excited to provide our fans with a unique opportunity to form personal connections with the 49ers in a way that contributes to human genome research. We are always looking for ways to enhance our fan experience and we believe we’ve done that in a ground-breaking way by partnering with a pioneering company like ORIG3N to give our fans the chance to compare their genetic makeup to that of professional football players.”"
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The small sample of blood that you would donate to LifeCapsule goes toward a really great cause – to study the cause of rare, genetically inherited diseases, and to better formulate courses of treatment for them. According to Orig3n material, “each blood sample is used to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that are then used to grow different cell types, including neurons, heart and liver cells.”
And the LifeProfile kits that you can purchase outside the stadium provide a person with information about their genetic tendencies relating to fitness, endurance, strength, and their metabolism – all of which, can be used to craft a better fitness regimen.
It is most definitely a unique partnership between the 49ers and the biotech company. But it is one with the potential to do a lot of good things for a lot of people. To have better treatment programs – or possibly even cures – for some terrible diseases can’t be described as anything but a good thing.
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So, if you find yourself at Levi’s Stadium for a game this season, and see the Orig3n tables set up, we would encourage you to stop on by and donate a small sample of your blood to the LifeCapsule. You could be bettering – if not saving – a person’s life.