THURSDAY NEWS LINKS:

Komen Foundation Houston Race Seeing a Decline in Registrations in Wake of Earlier Controversy

Posted byHoumanitarian

(Erin Mulvaney, Houston Chronicle)
This weekend’s Komen Race for the Cure in Houston could see 6,000 fewer participants than in 2011 after the breast-cancer charity was thrust into a heated abortion controversy earlier this year. In January, the Dallas-based charity announced it would stop making grants to Planned Parenthood for breast-cancer screening, prompting widespread criticism. It reversed its decision after three days.

Komen Houston says it has raised about $2 million including online, mail-in and corporate donations for the race. The charity hopes to reach its goal of $3 million – a million less than it raised last year – by Nov. 15.

A tally of donations on the Komen website shows its Houston affiliate has reached only 35 percent of its goal for this year’s race as of Wednesday evening, but spokeswoman Lisa Bustamante said that only represents online pledges. She said they are hopeful to be at or near the $3 million goal by the end of the campaign.

As a result of the controversy, many Komen supporters around the country abandoned the 5K run and walk, which is the main event for the charity’s fundraising. Participation dropped between 10 percent and 30 percent in some cities. The charity, however, has had a few racesbring in more money and participants since the controversy.

Register for this weekends race at Komen-Houston.org

Houston’s Komen affiliate could not provide exact numbers for registration for the 2012 race, set for Saturday, but acknowledged it had seen a decline since last year. It estimates that the total will be down 6,000 from last year’s race.

Affiliate spokeswoman Tania Cruz said 25,000 people have registered for the race so far and up to 30,000 could be expected to participate. In 2011, 33,000 took part, including 2,400 breast cancer survivors. The event raised more than $4 million for breast-cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs. About 3,000 people signed up between Wednesday and Saturday before last year’s race.

Komen Houston did not immediately comment on why participation and fundraising are down this year. Online registration is open, and people are registering every day, Cruz said.
(Read more of this story at the Houston Chronicle)

LOCAL AREA HEADLINES

STATE, NATION & WORLD