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Seattlites Resist Donating to Susan G Komen's Race For a Cure

May 25, 2012 @ 5:34 pm (Updated: 9:29 am - 5/28/12 )

By Rachel Belle

Survivor Parade with Cheryl 1

Last year, 14,000 people pinned on pink ribbons and walked, jogged or ran in Seattle's Susan G Komen Race For a Cure, to raise money for breast cancer prevention and research. This year, they're seeing a 36 percent drop in registration for the June 3rd race.

It was back in January when the national Susan G Komen organization announced they were cutting grant funds to Planned Parenthood. It was seen as a political, pro-Life decision and the nation went into a frenzy. Three days, a few Susan G Komen employee resignations and half a million dollars worth of public donations to Planned Parenthood later, Komen reversed it's decision. But it was too late. A lot of people, across the country, made the decision to stop supporting Susan G Komen, and redirected their dollars towards Planned Parenthood instead. Now, executive director for the Puget Sound Susan G Komen for the Cure, Cheryl Shaw wants to set some things straight.

"We were not a part of the decision, we were not a part of the discussion. We were informed, as the public was informed, of that national decision. As the public voiced their concerns, we previously had voiced our concerns and and had requested that the decision be changed. It was not changed and so here we are."

She hopes that people who have halted their donations, and involvement with Race for a Cure, will come back around.

"We operate independently. We do our own fundraising. All of the funds that we raise, 75% stays here in this community to help local women and then 25% goes to national research, global research, to find a cure. None of our funds go to national administration."

I asked Cheryl if she thinks Susan G Komen should be getting involved in politics.

"Absolutely not. Our mission is to save lives and our focus is on the women that we serve and should always be that way. I think what is disheartening is that decisions that are made by individuals who are not donating to Komen are affecting women. We see headlines about 'Komen is going to be hurt,' 'Race For A Cure' is going to be hurt.' Women in this community are going to be hurt. We stay focused on the women that we serve and the mission that this organization is all about. And that's to save lives."

To put it into perspective, Cheryl says a 36% drop in participation means 30% fewer mammograms for local, underprivileged and uninsured women.

"I'm upset. I am a survivor and I'm concerned because with our fundraising the way it is now, I know that there are going to be women who do not get screened early enough in order to have treatment that they deserve. I'm concerned and I'm also upset because I think that whenever we make decisions on an organizational level, or an individual level, it's beyond us. We have to think outside of ourselves in order to determine who, ultimately, is impacted."

Cheryl knows that some people are directing their money towards other women's health organizations, but she says no one else focuses on breast cancer like they do.

"If they don't come back and fund those women through Komen, in essence, the women are still losing. That's what I'm very frustrated about is that we have been put in a situation where we have to defend the fact that we serve underserved women. We have never wavered from that, we will never waver from that. As a survivor, as a woman who grew up in an underserved population, as a woman of color, this is extremely personal and it's very important."

Click here for information on how to sign up for the June 3, 2012 Race For the Cure in Seattle.

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Comments (40)


  • Add A Comment

  • Mo Gaud wrote...
    Even cancer
    May 25, 2012 5:31 pm
    has become political.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Exactly what I was thinking.
    May 28, 2012 8:41 am
    All in the name of baby killing. Disgusting.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Carlmania wrote...
    Like the old saying goes...
    May 28, 2012 10:26 am
    You get what you pay for...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
    May 25, 2012 6:14 pm
    Well I do assume that all the good PC progressives (I won't insult true dedicated liberals) have taken it upon themselves to donate directly to cancer screening to make up the short fall to SGK. ............ What ? They're not ? Well, at least now women can die more politically correct. ........ And lazy progressives now have an excuse to get out of those darm walks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Looks like Susan stepped in it . . . .
    May 25, 2012 7:32 pm
    don't worry Susan, Willard wrote you [women vote] off to.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    CH - this is out of your league
    May 26, 2012 5:02 am
    A lot less money for a very needy cause - and you think it's a joke ???
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Every topic here is out of his league.
    May 28, 2012 8:42 am
    ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    When those same women die alone of breast cancer because they killed their babies...
    May 25, 2012 7:50 pm
    Then they will be sorry
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    Well conservative republican's
    May 26, 2012 3:46 pm
    Donate substantially more money more often than anybody else will no doubt take up the slack. Book it, so no worry's for the Susan G Komen foundation, the conservatives will come to the rescue.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kata wrote...
    I think sportsguru is confused
    May 26, 2012 4:24 pm
    or didn't read the article. Or both.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Conservatives donate more to charities.
    May 27, 2012 9:01 am
    And you have a problem with this fact, SP?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    Ha ha!
    May 27, 2012 11:09 am
    No I do not, I think it's great that they care so much about regular people,lol.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Well
    May 27, 2012 3:13 pm
    that's good!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    II think it's great that they care so much about regular people,
    May 28, 2012 8:43 am
    You're welcome.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mobeta wrote...
    Fact, lib's take more than anyone else!
    May 28, 2012 12:36 pm
    lib's don't give squat. Look at Biden, he gives nothing. Oh, that's right Romney gave millions but he's a bad guy who is a self made man that lib's attack for being successful. Is there something wrong with that? Yea, the lib's are infected mentally. Elevator doesn't go to the top floor, that's for sure.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    bill!
    May 26, 2012 8:19 pm
    Name calling and anger. You are sounding more and more like the copper boy. Take a deep breath, calm down, Obama will win and it will all be good again. Quit being such a bully.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Re immaculate Obama and everything will be good again????
    May 27, 2012 9:06 am
    So, LWH, you admit that things are going badly under your Dear Leader and this regime. After FOUR years of this, what in the world makes you or any other Left wing Parrot think it will get any better under another 4 years of this regime???

    I cannot wait till November€!!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fineday wrote...
    GWOW
    May 27, 2012 10:36 pm
    ...and so the Great War on Women continues. Leftists hate so hard.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • xplanes wrote...
    Did it occure to them...
    May 28, 2012 6:37 am
    That people stopped donating because they found out some of their money was going to planned parenthood, not as they suggest out of anger for having dropped that funding? I think a lot of people just assumed their money was going to breast cancer treatment and not being mingled with funds for abortions. If PP is offering free or discounted mammograms and abortions you can be sure that every dollar donated though Susan G. Komen's frees up a dollar for abortions. Many people would rather find a different charity than do that yet still they say it's liberal spite over the previous decision.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    xplanes makes sense
    May 28, 2012 7:01 am
    this is the exact kind of tidbit that would be intentionally left out of a news story....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    this might make sense, except it was the initial decision to not fund PP that caused the big drop-off.
    May 28, 2012 7:12 am
    That short-fall has yet to come back, if ever. ... All xplanes and SickofSeattleite do here is offer conservatives an excuse too not to donate. .. Isn't THAT wonderful - no both sides can avoid SGK. Wonderful.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • JW1984 wrote...
    you're forgetting
    May 28, 2012 11:04 am
    that the initial drop would have been quickly filled by conservatives, like me. I was ready to make my first SGK donation, until they bowed to the pressure.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • pmobley wrote...
    xplanes - that was my thought too
    May 28, 2012 10:45 am
    I'm sure you are right. Most people didn't know about it until this whole mess came to light. I didn't pull my support before (I've known for a few years) because SKF was simply supporting PP to make sure more women were able to get mammograms. But now they are bending over backwards to please PP which goes too far. Women have other options to receive free or low cost mammograms - SKF should fund those and stay away from such a controversial organization.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    Did it occure to them That people stopped donating because they found out some of their money was going to planned parenthood, not as they suggest out of anger for having dropped that funding?
    May 28, 2012 12:25 pm
    The answer to that question is, no...that has not occurred to liberals.

    People who aren't down with supporting a racist organization such as planned parenthood and avoid donating to their genocidal efforts, once they learned that Susan G Komen was directing money to PP also cut off SGK...and the left concludes that people want even more money to go toward genocide and are donating directly. OK, so what are the stats on donations to PP directly? Have they gone up in proportion to the 36% decrease in SGK?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Seattle Dad wrote...
    Rachel's not that smart.
    May 30, 2012 7:03 am
    Or she'simply so surrounded by liberals that she wouldn't know.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Our next Civil War.
    May 28, 2012 6:39 am
    This Obamunist governments War on Americans. Our religions, our Woman, our Guns and our Bibles and our US Constitution and the fact that it limits what the government can do to people. And after all this and much more some here still mindlessly support this regime and the Dear Leader Obama! All this simply for votes.

    I cannot wait for November.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    according to whom
    May 28, 2012 6:58 am
    people gave their money to planned parent hood instead? Say's who? I find this hard to believe when birth control cost less than a cell phone. I am sure all these people receiving planned parenthood benefits have a cell phone. Is is possible less people are participating because of the effects of this economy that is supposedly better? For example i did not donate to breast cancer this year because i am broke. I also know how to not get pregnant.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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