Komen raises money far from its race's beaten path, Planned Parenthood gets a helping

     PHOENIX - Most teachers at her Phoenix-area K-8 public school were glad to donate $10 so they could gain the privilege of wearing jeans to class for two days of casual dress recently, an art teacher said in an interview with The Wanderer.

     The money went to what until recently was called the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. It changed its name this year to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, strengthening the identification with its hallmark Race for the Cure.

     Regardless of name changes, the organization bills itself as a leader in fighting breast cancer, but prefers to keep low-profile on the fact it gives some of the funds raised to leading abortion provider Planned Parenthood.

     In the art teacher's school district, all five elementary schools participated in dressing down by donating to Komen, she said, estimating there are 60 to 65 teachers at her school alone, the smallest in the district. "I believe everyone did" participate at her school for at least one of the two days except for the principal, who said "she won't wear denim," the art teacher said.

     Teachers were just told their money would be used to fight breast cancer, with no details given, she said.

     The woman asked that her name not be used because "I'm a new teacher" at the school and is concerned about retaining job security.

     Casual-dress days also were offered in exchange for donations to Komen at her two previous jobs, one of them at a bank, earlier this decade in another state, she said.

     The biweekly diocesan newspaper of Phoenix Catholic Bishop Thomas Olmsted, The Catholic Sun, called attention in its November 2, 2006, issue to Komen's donations to Planned Parenthood. A Sun editorial asked Catholics to call on the local Komen affiliate "to immediately end its support" for the abortionist organization.

     Komen across the nation beats the bushes for money far away from the well-beaten path of its urban race courses.

     "We offer a variety of events, from bowling to cooking to golfing and driving to raise money and awareness in our battle against breast cancer," the "Susan G. Komen for the Cure" Web site says.

     Phoenix radio recently announced that some auto-lube shops would donate to Komen when customers came in, a fund-raising approach that also has been used elsewhere.

     The Race for the Cure lists "national series sponsors" including Yoplait yogurt, the Ford Motor Co. and Energizer batteries. The BMW automotive corporation has held auctions for Komen.

     Prominent media companies including the Washington Post and Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune are official sponsors in their respective cities.

     The president of a national pro-life breast-cancer organization told The Wanderer in a telephone interview that she has seen Komen promoted in a variety of commercial venues.

     "I've seen them advertise on cat-food containers, on yogurt" and other commodities, said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer. "…They've latched on to just about every marketing scheme there is… They're making a whole ton of money…

     "There's a lot of money that is being made off sick women," Malec continued, adding: "We're finding a pattern among these cancer fund-raising organizations" showing that their leaders previously were associated with abortion-advocacy groups, beginning with the founder of Komen herself, Nancy Brinker.

     Late last year Malec told The Wanderer that a kindred group, the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC), was angry with the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer for revealing that a former Colorado organizer for the National Abortion Rights Action League was on NBCC's board of directors.

     The "Marketplace" page at the Komen Web site offers everything from Mother's Day cards to pink scarves and socks, sports visors, travel mugs and necklaces.

     "With nearly $1 billion invested to date," the Komen Web site says, "Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world's single largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to curing breast cancer at every stage - from the causes to the cures, to the pain and anxiety of every moment in between."     

     Komen says its grants to Planned Parenthood aren't used for abortion but for breast-health services. Pro-lifers reply that such grants allow Planned Parenthood to use more of its own funding for anti-life activities.

     The Phoenix Diocese's Catholic Sun editorial last November said grant money from Komen "now frees up Planned Parenthood funds for these other areas opposing life and counter to our Catholic faith."

     Pro-life organizations that only wish well to the fight against breast cancer say Komen has forfeited claims to people's financial backing.

     A position statement by the Respect Life Apostolate of the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis draws attention to Komen's proclaimed support for embryonic stem-cell research and funding for Planned Parenthood organizations.

     Because of this, "the Respect Life Apostolate neither supports nor encourages participation in activities that benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure," the statement said.

     While the apostolate acknowledges beneficial work that Komen has done, the statement said, it encourages people to contact the Komen national headquarters "and call for an end to all associations between Komen affiliates and Planned Parenthood," as well as asking for Komen's "recognition of the link between breast cancer and abortion, and a refusal to support research that leads to the destruction of any human life."

     The headquarters is at 5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, TX 75244.

     The St. Louis Archdiocesan organization provided the names and addresses of five local hospitals offering breast-cancer services and patient support that people could donate to instead.

     The statement, which ends with footnoted documentation, can be found online at http://stlprolife.org/KomenfortheCure.html.

     Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, suggested that people also could donate to three organizations concerned with the issue, including her own, which is online at abortionbreastcancer.com. The other two are the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, bcpinstitute.org, and the Polycarp Research Institute, polycarp.org.

     As for Komen's grants to Planned Parenthood, the St. Louis apostolate's statement said: "Despite Komen donations for breast health-care services, Planned Parenthood (the largest single abortion provider in the country) stated in its 2004-2005 annual report that 9,900 more abortions were performed and 26,000 fewer breast exams were provided in 2004 than in 2003."

(Reprinted with permission from The Wanderer, 651-224-5733, www.thewandererpress.com.)