Where Does the Cause Fit in?

By Communications

Now don't get me wrong -- I have enormous respect for Nancy Brinker. She turned a promise to her sister into a multimillion dollar foundation working to cure breast cancer. But I get a little queasy when I hear she's selling perfume in rose colored bottles on QVC for the cure. I know this will bring in a lot of money for Komen (just like the pink buckets of KFC did). But what impact does it have on the breast cancer cause?

In the minds of so many people, the breast cancer cause equals Komen. A lot of people may not even realize there are other organizations doing vital work. When Komen partners with corporations that make products that might harm people with breast cancer (many women who undergo chemo are known to be extremely sensitive to perfumes), they end up looking opportunistic at best, and money-hungry at worst. And the motives of the other, less visible organizations that work for the cause get called into question as well.

I don't begrudge Komen their fundraising success, and I am truly grateful for their vital work -- they fund really important programs, including some by SHARE. But their high visibility, I think, carries a certain responsibility. Every questionable partnership Komen enters into makes us all seem suspect. Do we really need that?

Posted July 19, 2011.

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After 4 years of wqlking in the Komen NYC Race for the Cure, this year I will not be walking with them. The KFC thing really bothered me last year but I did it anyway. Once I heard the were suing small organizations for using the word for the cure, I knew I was done with them. This perfume thing just confirmed I made the right decision.

This year I am planning & executing my own fundraising plan for a much smaller organization whose mission is very important to me.

— Judy

clear!