The Celtics set up a cheek swabbing station inside of TD Garden that will be available for the next two home games.
Ed Lacerte checks on Avery Bradley in 2013. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe
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Ed Lacerte spent three decades as the Celtics’ head athletic trainer and physical therapist.
He dedicated his lengthy career to helping athletes recover from injuries. He’s a three-time winner of the Joe O’Toole NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year award. He was also the trainer for the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team during their gold-medal run in the 1992 Olympic games.
Now, the Celtics are raising awareness to help Lacerte as he battles acute monocytic leukemia.
Lacerte is awaiting a blood stem cell transplant once the cancer goes into remission, so the Celtics are raising awareness for the National Marrow Donor Program registry.
The team wore Lacerte’s name on the back of their pregame warmup shirts ahead of Monday night’s matchup with the Pistons. They also had several announcements on the jumbotron throughout the game directing fans to a cheek swabbing station inside of TD Garden where they could join the registry and learn more about how to help.
“Every three to four minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer,” the Celtics said in a news release. “Many patients rely on the NMDP Registry because most lack a matching donor within their family. A simple, free cheek swab allows eligible individuals to join the registry.”
“Because matching is genetically based, increasing donor diversity is critical for patients from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. By joining and committing to donate blood stem cells—most often a non-surgical procedure resembling plasma donation—you may be the lifesaving match a patient urgently needs.”
The cheek swabbing station will also be available on Dec. 19 and Dec. 22 during home games against the Heat and Pacers. Swab kits are also available for those who register online.
The two upcoming games are the Celtics’ last home games in 2025. They’ll return to TD Garden on Jan. 5. to host the Bulls after the New Year.
Khari A. ThompsonSports Reporter
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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