One week ago, Wallach got a call from a bone-marrow bank informing him that he had matched a patient seeking a donation. Wallach, a 49-year-old resident of Forestburgh, was in the database after testing at the Rhulen Rock Hill Run & Ramble.
The 3.1-mile walk/run will go off for the 18th time on Saturday. Race officials have worked exhaustively to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America and other charities. The event is held in honor of Walter A. Rhulen, a dedicated runner and local humanitarian who battled leukemia before his death in 1998.
Organizers first held the bone-marrow drive in 2008 after learning that 21-year-old Monticello resident Jared Carlew needed a transplant. Carlew died before the transplant arrived. The scenario happens often because of a lack of available donors.
Wallach's stepfather died of leukemia. Wallach has helped sponsor the event, and his wife, Resa, has helped organize the race for years. He had his cheek swabbed two years ago, a process that took less than a minute.
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