Susan G Komen ... & "the Cure"

[Mighty.Mighty_XJ]

I'm posting this here because it is relevant to the NAC's Roktoberfest last year. Have you guys seen this article? I'd copy/paste, but it's pretty long. I'm a bit ticked off about what Susan G Komen Society is doing, considering I have contributed to their cause for years - and helped drag into it last year. Any thoughts on this?
Here's a modified excerpt (italics mine):

In addition to raising millions of dollars a year for breast cancer research, fundraising giant Susan G. Komen for the Cure has a lesser-known mission that eats up donor funds: patrolling the waters for other charities and events around the country that use any variation of "for the cure" in their names.
So far, Komen has identified and filed legal trademark oppositions against more than a hundred of these Mom and Pop charities, including Kites for a Cure, Par for The Cure, Surfing for a Cure and Cupcakes for a Cure--and many of the organizations are too small and underfunded to hold their ground.

(Someone) said the Komen foundation sent ... a letter asking her to stop using the phrase "for a cure" in their title and to never use the color pink in conjunction with their fundraising. What bothered her most about the whole ordeal, she said, was that Komen forced her to spend money and time on legal fees and proceedings instead of raising funds for cancer.

It continues. I think the whole thing is BS - David & Goliath thing, especially since most of these organizations are sending their money to the cancer cause. I'd like to hear some thoughts on this. It's being discussed on the NJJA forum right now. Sorry if I missed it being posted here.

 

[Andy in Pa.]

Interesting, I think that is rather small-minded of the Susan G Komen Foundation to be doing something like that, especially since it all goes to one singular cause. This makes me think that if they are worried about something like that, then they must be skimming something off the top (to pay salaries??). Hence the reason they want to sponsor ALL of the "for the cure" type events.... to be more profitable.

I am sorry to see that a seemingly honest, straight-forward foundation with an honorable goal (that has to have millions in contributions each year) feels that need to go after other small orgs with the same honorable goals.

I guess NJJA will be finding a new cause to contribute to next year.

 

[crimsondragon]

It's a business. Did you expect anything less?

 

[kastein]

WTF?

here I was thinking it was a nonprofit organization, figured they would be happy to have help from anyone else supporting the same cause.

 

[Andy in Pa.]

It's a business. Did you expect anything less?

Yes, I expected them to be a non-profit, since that is the "front" that they put up with how their business is run.

WTF?

here I was thinking it was a nonprofit organization, figured they would be happy to have help from anyone else supporting the same cause.

X2...

 

[MoparManiac]

That's a real eye opener...

 

[asp]

I hope that hits the news a bit more publicly because of how large the organizations name is and how corrupt that is. Say herro to the new Enron.

 

[Mighty.Mighty_XJ]

I'm trying to brainstorm a way to get this blown wide open. They should be ashamed. Now the NJJA is worried that they might end up on a hit list of "charities" that get sued. I am so outraged by this, it's giving me a headache. Here are people who are trying to raise funds for the same end result, and SGK is railroading them with something as petty as this. Who would have thought they were bullies?

And frankly, what difference does it make if people use the phrase? I was told that SGK is primarily out to increase awareness for The Cause. Whenever I hear "for the cure" I instantly think of cancer. I'm sure it's the same for millions of people. So the more the phrase is used, the more awareness there is. I'd think it would be a little self defeating to take action against these people.

SGK foundation will never receive another thin dime of my money.

 

[RCman]

This is a shame. Andy has it right, support the little guys first.

Wasn't it on the news early last week? I think it may have gotten washed out by other tragic recent events.

 

[asp]

Wasn't it on the news early last week? I think it may have gotten washed out by other tragic recent events.

That right there is why I rarely watch the news. It's all the bad stuff in the world for 28 minutes and a 30 second heartwarming story at the end to make you feel good about life.

 

[crimsondragon]

I'm trying to brainstorm a way to get this blown wide open. They should be ashamed. Now the NJJA is worried that they might end up on a hit list of "charities" that get sued. I am so outraged by this, it's giving me a headache. Here are people who are trying to raise funds for the same end result, and SGK is railroading them with something as petty as this. Who would have thought they were bullies?

And frankly, what difference does it make if people use the phrase? I was told that SGK is primarily out to increase awareness for The Cause. Whenever I hear "for the cure" I instantly think of cancer. I'm sure it's the same for millions of people. So the more the phrase is used, the more awareness there is. I'd think it would be a little self defeating to take action against these people.

SGK foundation will never receive another thin dime of my money.

When you spend millions on advertising something that has become a trademark and then other small tiny organizations start using it then is it fair to SGK? They're receiving donations. More organizations mean the donations are more spread out and that money is not in their pocket. Basically, they're trying to monopolize. More funding means more money that goes to the awareness aka advertisement.

 

[chedisme]

I wonder if in the suit they will try to take over all the little org's.