Home Projects Culture of Death Accomplishments Bioethics At-A-Glance Funding Obsolete Stem Cell Science Human-Animal Hybrids Legislation BDF in Seoul Bioethics Blueprints Coercing Conscience FOCA in Their Words Litigation Notre Dame-Obama Octomom bill Saddleback Life Quotes Media & Education Words Matter Abortion Bail-out? About BDF BDF Store Human Cloning Newsbreaks Men and Abortion Eroding Roe: A Winning Strategy Missouri Cloning Scam Hope in Action Get Involved! Sign Up For The BDFund Newsletter! Learn the Human Rights Answers! Click here to sign up for our FREE e-report. Know the Facts about the Komen-Planned Parenthood Connection Susan G. Komen for the Cure awards 72 grants to Planned Parenthood in 2000-2005 period Media contact: Dorinda C. Bordlee, Esq., 504-231-7234 info@BDFund.org October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer detection, prevention, research and treatment are of the utmost importance due to the devastating impact that this disease has on women and their families. Pro-life citizens who are interested in fighting this deadly disease should be aware that one breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, has a policy of explicitly allowing its state affiliates to give monetary grants to abortion providing facilities. Not all state affiliates give grants to Planned Parenthood using the 75% of the funds that they raise in a state. However, each state affiliate must forward at least 25% of funds raised in their state to the Komen National office. These funds are under the discretion of a board that refuses to disassociate itself from Planned Parenthood as shown by the facts below: Planned Parenthood is the number one provider of abortions in the United States. During its 2005-2006 fiscal year, the nonprofit Planned Parenthood Federation of America performed a record 264,943 abortions according to its annual report. At least 13 Susan G. Komen for the Cure affiliates have awarded at least 55 grants to Planned Parenthood afflilates during the years 2000 through 2005. These grants are reported on the Susan G. Komen website by entering "Planned Parenthood" on Komen's searchable grant page. Komen claims that money raised by affiliates who give money grants to Planned Parenthood is for breast services only. However, Planned Parenthood documents in its 2005-2006 annual report that 9,900 more abortions were performed and 81,500 fewer breast exams were provided in 2005 than in 2004. KOMEN'S EXPRESS POLICY ALLOWING PLANNED PARENTHOOD GRANTS: Because Komen refused their request to stop providing grants to Planned Parenthood, Curves, a privately held fitness franchise firm owned by women's health advocate Gary Heavin, ceased supporting Komen events. Here is Komen's response by its Public Relations Manager Kristin Kelly: "The Komen Foundation is confident that none of its community Affiliates have stopped funding Planned Parenthood as a result of the pressure from Curves, Operation Save America or any other organization. In fact, when faced with opposition from Curves or the threat that Curves franchises would no longer support the Foundation unless Planned Parenthood funding was eliminated, the Komen Foundation told Mr. Heavin (founder and CEO of Curves) that we would not, in any way, undermine the integrity of our grant-making process. In addition the Foundation told Mr. Heavin that it would continue to allow Komen Affiliates to provide breast health education and screening grants to Planned Parenthood if the grant application was approved through the process outlined above. As a result, Curves chose to suspend its support of Komen Affiliate events, including sponsorship of the Komen Race for the Cure (r). In 2003, Komen Affiliates awarded $38.4 million in grants to support community outreach programs, including 21 grants to their local Planned Parenthood chapters totaling more than $475,000." Source: Komen website as copied into Powerpoint Presentation by Eve Sanchez, former Komen board member, http://stopabortionbreastcancer.org/talks/denver_silver060930.pdf In March 2008, the St. Louis Archdiocese renewed its June 2007 policy of non-support for Komen due to Komen's national policy of allowing affiliates to give grants to Planned Parenthood, and of promoting embryonic stem cell research. This statement was made even though the Missouri affiliate did not give grants to Missouri Planned Parenthood because at least 25% of locally raised funds are under the discretion of Komen's national office. Background Facts: Why is Komen tied to Planned Parenthood? Nancy Brinker, Komen Founder, was listed as an advisory board member in the 2002 annual report of Planned Parenthood of North Texas, the fifth largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the nation. In September of 2004, Eve Sanchez Silver, a breast cancer survivor and charter member of Komen's Hispanic/Latina Advisory Council, resigned from Komen, stating, "As a Christian and life affirming citizen I can not reconcile the Foundation's decision to affirm life with one hand and support its destruction with the other." BDF encourages you to contact Susan G. Komen for the Cure (5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, TX 75244) and call for an end to all associations between Komen affiliates and Planned Parenthood, for funding of further studies on the link between breast cancer and abortion, and for an end to the endorsement of research that leads to the destruction of any human life. Please encourage the Komen Foundation to focus all funds on research to find causes and cures for breast cancer and refuse to give financial or other support to any abortion provider or organization that promotes the destruction of human life. ALTERNATE BREAST CANCER ORGANIZATIONS: Click here for breast cancer organizations that do not support abortion facilities or destructive human embryo experimentation. Copyright 2007 - Bioethics Defense Fund. Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.. For more information, contact us at info@bdfund.org or use our contact form.