Correction added

Eastern men’s soccer graduate assistant Brad Earl has spent the past two summers training with Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake in Salt Lake City.

This season, while he trained and ultimately played for Real Salt Lake reserve corps, Earl became close friends with Real Salt Lake midfielder Andy Williams and his wife Marcia.

Marcia Williams was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia on July 3, and her condition requires treatment of a bone marrow transplant.

Earl is hosting a marrow drive today at Eastern’s Campus Rec Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“I’ve teamed up with an organization called DKMS,” Earl said.

DKMS America is the United States branch of Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei, which is the main branch of the organization founded in Germany in 1991. The National Marrow Donor Program is the world’s largest marrow donor center with more than 1.7 million registered donors.

Earl said he got to know the Williams family through Jamie Watson, a mutual friend and former Real Salt Lake forward. Earl and Watson both went to Coppell High School in Coppel, Texas.

Earl said Watson and Andy Williams were roommates on road trips, and through Watson he became close with Andy and Marcia Williams.

Real Salt Lake is hosting a marrow drive for Marcia Williams on Dec. 13 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, and Earl said Watson is hosting another drive later in Dallas because he now lives in that area as a member of MLS’ FC Dallas.

“She still has hope out there after tomorrow,” Earl said. “(The Williams’ have) done a lot for me. Ultimately you’ve got to be optimistic and hope you can find a match.”

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.