Is Pink-Washing an issue?

Every year I get excited when October gets here, it’s fall! It’s cooling down! The leaves are changing – but unfortunately something else happens. The TV, radio and stores are filled with PINK. We’ve even dubbed it “Pink Until You Puke”. It’s everywhere and to me it’s maddening.

I’ve taken the time to stop and read the packaging, which I suggest you do next time before you buy that pink soup can. A certain percentage goes towards research but only up to a certain dollar amount. After that it’s pure profit for the company. To me, the PINK movement has become more commercialized than Christmas. Yes, just think about that for a minute. We have one month where companies are cashing in on cancer research. And I mean big money. How much actually makes it to the intended research?

I have nothing against the color pink, I even have a couple pink kitchen utensils that I purchased months after from a clearance bin. They work just as well as any other colored ones might – the price was just right. And I know that none of the money I spent on them went towards cancer research.

I do want to see cancer beat, a cure for all types. I have had a great aunt, an aunt and several friends go through breast cancer and beat it. The research is there and it is treatable, as long as it is detected early. Maybe we should be taking time to promote breast health as a whole and ways to detect – not promoting spending money, going bra-less (which seriously? come on! that’s insulting to all who went through breast cancer treatments), or “saving the ta-tas”. We need to promote saving lives, finding a way to promote breast health.

Would I be so upset if every cancer had such a campaign? Probably not! Do we have a month devoted to blue for testicular cancer? Promoting mens products all in blue to help save “the guys” – no! Why not? Because America is consumer driven, and 75% or more of that shopping is done by us, women.

The marketing ploy, in my opinion has gotten a bit out of hand. I think we need to start promoting healthy living, cancer research for all types. I personally have not gone through cancer, but have watched my mother and sister battle different types. Both thankfully have survived it, and are still in my life. I want to see research for not just breast cancer, but for the types of cancer that the American Cancer Society dubs an “orphan cancer” because “not enough people die from it“.

When I told my mother I was going to write a piece on Pink Washing she asked if she could add to it as well. She brings a different perspective to it as a survivor herself. Please keep in mind, we’d love to see all cancers cured and research to be done where it’s needed. I think it’s the blatant commercialism and misuse of marketing that bothers us both! And I don’t think we’re alone in this.

Does Donating Really Help find a cure? 
by Joni Fixel

I have a confession to make – I HATE pink. Not that it was ever my favorite color but when the Breast Cancer Awareness movement turned everything from Kitty Litter bags to Windshield Wipers pink…it drove me nuts!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hard-hearted…I am a cancer survivor. Not breast cancer but I am a survivor of a rare soft tissue sarcoma named LeioMyoSarcoma. LeioMyoSarcoma is rare, four in every one million people are diagnosed each year. There are no nationwide campaigns or month’s devoted to this cancer or one of the many other rare cancers that are underfunded. Being blessed enough to be a survivor, I have learned a lot about fundraising, donations and scams that take well intended funds and divert the donor’s hard earned money to someone’s bank account instead of researchers. Below is a list of the 10 Worst Charities in America:

Here are the 10 worst charities in America from the list compiled by the Center for Investigative Reporting and the Tampa Bay Times, along with the percentage of money raised that went to the supposed cause:

1. Kids Wish Network (2.5%)
2. Cancer Fund of America (0.9%)
3. Children’s Wish Foundation International (10.8%)
4. American Breast Cancer Foundation (5.3%)
5. Firefighters Charitable Foundation (8.4%)
6. Breast Cancer Relief Foundation (2.2%)
7. International Union of Police Associations (0.5%)
8. National Veterans Service Fund (7.8%)
9. American Association of State Troopers (8.6%)
10. Children’s Cancer Fund of America (5.3%)

The charities were ranked based on how much money they spent on solicitors. Kids Wish Network paid about $110 million of $128 million raised to fundraisers, the report said.

Groups like these tend to rely on telephone solicitations to collect donations. Some are little more than fronts for the companies that raise the money. Every time a consumer makes a donation to the “charity,” the bulk of it stays with the company that made the pitch.  http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/the-10-worst-charities

I’m not jealous of other Cancer research and I hope that we see an end to all cancers in my lifetime.  But for heaven’s sake – how many people know that the Susan G. Komen for The Cure has so much money coming in that they donate to other non-profit organizations. That’s right, the ones who brought us Breast Cancer Awareness month and all the Pink you ever “wanted” to see…takes some of the funds donated for finding a cure for Breast Cancer and gives it to others – like Planned Parenthood.

My cancer has taught me many things and also brought me some unexpected blessings. I have met so many beautiful people who like me had cancer. Some are still my friends…some have left us behind. What I would give to get the same level of funding to send to our researchers trying to find a cure for LeioMyoSarcoma that the large non-profit corporations give away to others.

The readers of this blog are smart and internet savvy, so take a few minutes to investigate a company before you buy something that is PINK and make sure that the money goes directly to research. If you don’t, very little of your hard-earned money will go to really help find a cure.  Instead pick a charity that you want to support. Find out where they are supporting researchers, then send a donation directly to that research facility. Call and ask before you send money to find out how to make out the check so 100% goes to research – often it is just a matter of how the check is written or the letter accompanying it.

And don’t be taken by the color PINK.