Central Blood Bank

Central Blood Bank was experiencing great difficulty in getting African Americans to be typed for bone marrow donation. As a solution, Bynums developed an event entitled United We Live. We gathered well-known gospel choirs from around the city for a performance at the Fulton Theatre (now known as the Byham Theatre). The event resulted in the largest ever bone marrow typing of African Americans. An individual who was in need of a bone marrow transplant gave a short speech about the need for donors, and nurses were stationed at booths in the lobby so that potential donors could be typed during the intermission and after the concert.

Outcome: This public relations effort received national attention and was cited as a model by Central Blood Bank's national office. Approximately 1,000 African Americans attended the concert, which featured some of Pittsburgh's best local gospel groups and soloists.