On 22 September, World Marrow Donor Day, colleagues from across GenDx came together at Sports Center Olympos in Utrecht for the GenDx Tulip Run – a 5K run and 3K walk organized in collaboration with Olympos and the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA).
At GenDx, our work is centered on helping patients find the best possible donor match. But finding a match is only one part of the journey – around the world, patients still face barriers to accessing stem cell transplantation, and not everyone has the same chance of finding a suitable donor. This year, we wanted to go a step further and support WMDA’s mission to strengthen the global donor network, giving more patients, wherever they live, access to a suitable donor.
The afternoon began with a warm-up and a group photo, before runners and walkers set off along a route through the Utrecht Botanical Gardens. The event brought together colleagues of all levels — from seasoned runners to those who simply wanted to walk and support the cause – followed by time to relax and refuel together at the food truck. Alongside the event, GenDx ran a fundraising campaign, inviting colleagues, friends, and family to donate in support of WMDA.
Together, we raised
€5.358,40
This total includes the ‘head start’ that GenDx contributed for every participant, and was raised through both Geef.nl and the WMDA donation page. The full amount has been transferred directly to WMDA.
To put that into perspective, these funds could, for example, help add 535 new donors to the global database, or sponsor 214 searches for a suitable donor for a patient.
But what we’re ultimately aiming for goes beyond the numbers: a meaningful contribution to making stem cell care accessible in the places where it’s needed most. That goal connects seamlessly with our own mission at GenDx — to improve the quality of life and survival chances of transplant patients, everywhere in the world.
A heartfelt thank you!
We want to thank everyone who took part — whether by running, walking, volunteering, donating, or simply cheering from the sidelines. Thank you also to our partners, Olympos and WMDA, for making this event possible.
Initiatives like this remind us why our work matters: behind every match is a patient waiting for a second chance at life.
If you are inspired by the GenDx Tulip Run and want to make a tangible difference, discover how you can support the WMDA on their website or take the step to register as a stem cell donor today.
Together, we can give patients worldwide a second chance at life.
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