Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity joined the Icla da Silva Foundation in its efforts to create awareness about the need for more marrow donors and develope marrow recruitment drives at college campuses throughout the United States.

Airam da Silva, M.P.H., Icla da Silva Foundation's Executive Vice President, spoke at Phi Iota Alpha's National Convention late in 2007 about the need for partnership with other organization to increase awareness about the need for marrow donors.

Every year, more than 10,000 Americans get life-threatening diseases that can only be cured with a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor.", explained Mr. da Silva. "One of the main reasons 64 percent of the searching patient s don't get the transplant they need is because there are not enough diverse donors on the registry."

You could be the one to save a life. Sign up to be a marrow donor, organize a marrow drive and or volunteer at http://www.icla.org

Since 1931, Phi Iota Alpha has set precedents for Latino greek leadership in the global community. Through the past 75 years, Phi Iota Alpha has cultivated and inspired Latino men nationwide to become leaders of their communities across Latin America and the United States. Open to all men, this distinguished brotherhood includes many professionals and former presidents of Latin American countries. Today Phi Iota Alpha, the Oldest Latino Fraternity in existence, continues to lead as the preeminent Latino fraternal organization with chapters throughout the United States.

The Icla da Silva Foundation, a nonprofit organization under section 501(c) 3 of the IRS Code, was established in June of 1992, after the death of Icla da Silva, a thirteen-year-old Brazilian girl, who had leukemia. She died after intense efforts by her family, friends and neighbors to find a matching donor. The mission of the Icla da Silva Foundation is to secure the highest possible quality of life for children afflicted with leukemia and improve access of patients who need bone marrow transplants to volunteer unrelated donors.