An Elmira resident is organizing a bone marrow drive in honor of her young cousin who passed away from leukemia.

The first step of the drive is to find bone marrow matches for those in need.

The registry is scheduled for this Thursday at the Chemung County YMCA from three-to-seven.

At the event, you can register to be a bone marrow donor by bringing in a photo id and getting a mouth swab.

The organizer says this drive means a lot to her.

“It will mean the world to me, it will mean a lot to know that we couldn’t save Nina but we can save somebody else’s cousin, it would mean a lot.” said Suki Crespo-Vega.

Vega says donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are needed the most.

Patients in need of a transplant usually match someone of their own race and ethnicity.