Dan’s Passion for Team DKMS

One of the great things about volunteering with DKMS is that it’s not that difficult to register people – it’s a pretty straightforward volunteer opportunity – but the impact you create lasts for years and years. Dan Tattoli imbodies this through and through.

Dan first got connected with DKMS back in 2012 while at University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity and looking for philanthropy opportunities. He was looking for a cancer-related charity, as his grandfather had passed away from leukemia before he was born and used this as inspiration. DKMS fit perfectly for what he was looking for.

“They needed vocal volunteers that could spread a message and I still do that today. I enjoy being involved with DKMS because it’s a conversation starter and you’re addressing a conversation that has a lot of misconception along with it.”

Dan and his fraternity brothers dove head first into the DKMS mission, registering around 10,000 potential lifesavers during his tenure at his alma mater!

In 2018, his relationship with DKMS took a turn in a way he wasn’t expecting. While cheering at the 2018 NYC Marathon, Dan was able to spot a runner wearing a DKMS shirt – quite the coincidence as no more than 10 runners out of the 50,000 NYC participates run with DKMS each year! He immediately reached out to his contact and has since been a part of Team DKMS for the NYC Marathon in 2019, 2021, 2022, and soon to be 2023.

Prior to 2018, Dan had never even been a runner and took on Team DKMS and the 2019 NYC Marathon as his first ever race. While Dan has lost touch with some of his fraternity brothers over the years, DKMS still brings them together – "Every year I run NYC, I always gets people reaching out saying it’s amazing I still have a connection to the mission."

When reflecting on why he chose to be part of Team DKMS, Dan shared, “I’m in the real estate business and we focus on ROI – return on investment. When it comes to running and Team DKMS I equate my ROI to ‘reach of impact.’ I’m big on the ROI and to me, that is being able to partner with a charity that is really doing the hard work.

Going on a run is difficult, but the hard work isn’t going out and running the race – the real hard work is done by the people behind the scenes supporting those that really need it and are truly struggling, facing adversity in their lives. The 26 miles is nice and I get a medal at the end, but it’s the ‘reach of impact’ that really settles well with me. That is why I continuously do the running. It’s a selfish act because I enjoy the race but in doing that, I know I am helping more than just myself.”

We are so grateful for Dan’s partnership with DKMS and the numbers truly show it:

• 10,000 lifesavers registered
• 35 successful stem cell donations as a result of his volunteer registration efforts
• $11,108 raised
• 78.6 miles ran

We cannot wait to see these numbers increase and continue to follow alongside him in his journey.

Interested in being part of Team DKMS?

Get active with us through various races – NYC Marathon, NYC Half Marathon, and more! Team DKMS members fundraise for DKMS in exchange for guaranteed entry into popular races and in some cases, covering the registration fee.