I am not necessarily defending the Susan G Komen Foundation. However, I think the organization has done wonders for breast cancer research & early detection. If you read the book, Promise Me, which I read in one day with tears streaming down my face, you'll understand more of where this organization grew from. I have walked in the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the past 4 years. I have multiple blog entries explaining why I did it and also why I have retired my walking shoes. If you've supported MY fundraising efforts & MY determination to complete this walk 4 times (walking a total of 240 miles), I thank you. And my guess is that you donated to me to support ME.
Susan G Komen has been in the news over the years for a number of reasons--multiple lawsuits about using the word "cure" & the pink ribbon to pro-life organizations being upset because they offer grants to Planned Parenthood. It is interesting to me that none of the pro-choice people I know jumped all over social media to support SGK when the pro-life organizations & churches decided to stop supporting SGK. Yet, as soon as a policy of SGK keeps them from giving that grant to Planned Parenthood, they are all up in arms about it. Going so far as to say that SGK doesn't even care about breast cancer anymore---HAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#1 Susan Komen & Nancy Brinker had breast cancer. Most of you have not.
#2 There are more survivors than EVER because of the screening that has been allowed by SGK funding efforts. You can NOT deny that the Komen foundation paved the way for breast cancer awareness.
#3 They are not going to stop cancer research or grants for screening across the board. No news report has said "Susan G Komen will cease funding any breast cancer research or screening forever because we hired a republican VP who is pro-life." (if you read that somewhere, send it my way...)
#4 There are MULTIPLE places to find low-cost & free mammogram screening in all areas of the country. I just did a simple google search & came up with the following here.
#5 Do you know why SGK decided to stop funding Planned Parenthood? They're under federal investigation for financial improprieties. While that doesn't necessarily mean a problem of any substance, the supporters of SGK don't always understand that & can pull their funding to the organization.
#6 Before you accuse a runner or walker who is raising funds to participate in a SGK sponsored race of being a right-wing pro-lifer who is ruining the health of poor women across the country, consider asking her WHY she's actually run/walking & you may find it puts you in your place.
#7 (I got this from the FB page of a woman who works at SGK HQ) Just to put things into perspective for some of you, Planned Parenthood grossed $1B in annual revenues during their last reported fiscal year, over double the gross revenues reported by Komen. Komen funded grants of approximately $690K to Planned Parenthood, which equates to less then 0.1% of Planned Parenthood’s funding.
Do I think CEOs of non profit organizations should earn 1/2 a million dollars in salary each year? Not necessarily. Do I think it's a little extreme to sue a small mom & pop NPO for using the word *cure* in their organization title? Yes. Do I think that this whole Planned Parenthood/Susan G Komen debate is blown out of proportion? Absolutely. Support them or don't. You get to decide where to put your money. So either give them some or don't. Women are NOT going to go without screening JUST because Planned Parenthood doesn't have the grant from SGK anymore. SGK is NOT the only organization on the side of helping women...
And while we're on the subject, why don't we just stop & switch gears? Let's stop worrying about the cure & spend our efforts finding the CAUSE so we can PREVENT it in the first place.
Dr. Love & the Army of Women deserve some support as her way of thinking has caught my attention in the past couple of years.
And, then consider doing something for a survivor in your life. Thanks to research SGK has funded, I am here. I had SO many screens & tests. My girls will have access to so much! It's amazing how far breast cancer detection has come in just 20 years! But once someone has been labeled "survivor", many times we're left to pick up pieces of a life that is new to us. Unfortunately, because women are being diagnosed younger & younger, many are left to navigate this new life alone. You wanna support an organization that has literally changed MY life? Check out the Ulman Cancer Fund. Or consider funding my new passion of running. My fundraising efforts this year will support this incredible organization which has done more for me than words can say. However, I cannot promise that there are no Republicans working at the home office of this NPO--so if that's a deal breaker for you, then you can keep your money.
Susan G Komen--love 'em or hate 'em--is still pro-boobies. And so am I.
No comments:
Post a Comment