Re: Corporations flock to selling for the (breast cancer) cure.

All across America, people are " shopping " for a cure for breast cancer, funneling millions into the coffers of several large breast cancer advocacy foundations and at least one cancer center by purchasing products that are somehow tied to national fundraising campaigns for breast cancer awareness and research. The opportunities seem ubiquitous in October—National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Saturation of such " cause-related " marketing, known as " pink " campaigns, is so complete, in fact, that some advocates privately laugh about efforts they say range from " driving for the cure " —BMW will donate $1 for every mile that is test-driven by a potential buyer—to what they dub " wiping for the cure " —the 50 cents that Quilted Northern Ultra toilet tissue will donate for each proof-of-purchase code mailed back to the company. But a number of breast cancer advocates complain that some corporations are using breast cancer to sell their products, and that saturation of breast cancer awareness messages may actually be sending the wrong message to American women—that researchers are closer to a cure than they really are. Proceeds from many such cam-paigns—including those from BMW and Quilted Northern—go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, which will also receive funds from the 57 other corporations or businesses listed on their Web site. They include campaigns by Yoplait yogurt, KitchenAid appliances, Mohawk carpeting, pink and white M&Ms, Smart Health latex medical examination gloves, SBC Communications, Pinnacle golf balls, and Wyndham Hotel & Resorts, which is sponsoring " Dream for the Cure. " The foundation's success has been remarkable. Through these campaigns and other fund-raising activities, the foundation has amassed more than $740 million for its " fight against breast cancer " since the organization was established in 1982. They garnered $30 million in cause-related marketing last year alone. From all of its fund-raising activities last year, the foundation said it gave 74% of total spending, or $96 million, to such " Komen missions " as breast cancer education (36%), breast cancer research (22%), screening (11%), and treatment (6%). The foundation has given more than 1,000 research grants, totaling more than $144 million, since 1982. Other organizations have similar so-called cause-related marketing efforts. The 10-year-old Breast Cancer Research Foundation, founded by Evelyn Lauder, senior corporate vice president of the Estee Lauder Companies, has raised $90 million to support breast cancer research nationwide. Lauder originally …