STAND UP 2 CANCER NOW!

October is "Breast Cancer Awareness" month and I have been doing some research into the “search for a cure”.

Since being diagnosed with breast cancer this past June, my “awareness” of cancer has become very heightened and personal.   Even before that, I was no stranger to cancer, as I have known many dear friends and family members with cancer.   To say that I am “aware” is putting it rather mildly, as I enter my fourth month of chemotherapy and face some type of surgery and radiation to follow afterwards.

My question has always been, “If so much money has been raised in all these years to find ‘a cure’, then why hasn’t a cure been found?”  This question used to hang out in the back of my mind.  These days, I find it in the front of my mind a little more often.   

The short answer to the question, “Where is the cure after all this time and all this money has been raised?”  (over $2 billion dollars to date), is that only a small percentage of the revenue raised by some organizations is actually utilized for research to discover a “cure”.  The foundation that sponsors the “race for the cure” and the “wear pink” campaigns allocates less than 20% of its revenues to research.    

The rest of the money goes to education and treatment, which is fine.    However, I personally feel it is important to realize their revenues do not primarily fund the search for a “cure” for cancer.

It’s up to you to decide whether donating to an organization that primarily funds research for a cure for cancer is important to you, or not.

I would respectfully urge anyone who is embracing the cause of a “cure” for cancer to be very mindful as you raise money, donate money or support organizations for “the cure” to read their financial statements and see for yourself what percentage of their revenue is used for research.   

The mission of the organization, Stand Up 2 Cancer, is to “fund collaborative, translational cancer research to bring treatments from the bench to the bedside faster, and save lives now.  This makes Stand Up 2 Cancer unique and more importantly, 100% of their revenues are allocated to cancer research.    Stand Up 2 Cancer is looking for new therapies, across ALL CANCER TYPES.  Not just breast cancer.   

Please investigate this innovative research organization and read about the opportunities for you to Stand Up 2 Cancer.....for a cure for ALL cancer......

www.standup2cancer.org/

When the answer seems impossible, stand up
When the dream is right within our reach, stand up
When the powerful refuse your call, stand up

The moment is now and the time has come to stand up.
One out of every two men
One out of every three women
will face these diseases we call cancer.

Our sisters, our brothers, our fathers, our mothers,
our husbands, our wives, our children.
Our very best friends and those we’ve yet to meet.

One person every minute, one person in a moment gets lost, gets stolen, gets taken away.

This is where the end of cancer begins.