Dravecky’s Appeal for Leukemia Boy Brings In $85,000

An appeal from San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky has brought donations of more than $85,000 to pay for marrow donor tests to help a 6-year-old boy who suffers from acute leukemia.

Radio station KNBR started the fund-raising by offering a $5 donation for each of the 92 pitches thrown by Dravecky against the Cincinnati Reds during his winning comeback game at Candlestick Park last week. The game, which the Giants won, 4-3, was Dravecky’s first since cancer surgery.

“We were deluged by callers pledging similar donations,” said the station’s Isabelle Lemon.

The funds will pay for marrow tests of potential donors.

While making his return to major league baseball last Thursday, Dravecky urged donors to come forward for Alex Vlahos, a leukemia patient whose chances of survival depend on quickly locating a suitable marrow match.

Dravecky suffered a broken arm in Montreal on Tuesday that was related to surgery last year to remove a malignant tumor from his left arm.

The money will benefit the Life-Savers Foundation of America, the Covina-based organization trying to find a marrow donor for the Hillsborough boy. A spokeswoman said there is a 1-in-20,000 chance that an appropriate donor will be found.