bkefanatic said:
Does anyone really know how much money Livestrong.com gives to different cancer charities, as well as to fallen cyclists? Personally, talking to people, it is quite a larger amount. Lance has done more to raise awareness for cancer than anyone I know, I recently returned from M.D. Anderson, the number one cancer institute in the world; I always wear my bracelet, being a cancer survivor, and former pro cyclist, and as I looked at the many patients and staff there, so many wore them as well. So before everyone starts *****ing about for profit or non profit, look at what the company has done. Have any of you made such a HUGE difference for people?
I am really unpersuaded. I am happy that you apparently are in remission, but the charity, which was linked to by someone who I believe is pro-LAF dot whatever shows the charity to run rather high expenses and is lower rated than many other cancer charities. The expenses could be used to mask the lavish lifestyle of its namesake or chief executives. (Just imagine if your paycheck covered only your discretionary needs, but the fund paid all of your major expenses, house, clothing food, 1st class travel and entertainment, assistants. That's living LARGE and STRONG!)
Their mission statement says 1 word about research at the end. I'd be curious to see what research is funded and how much is given. Has anyone drilled into this report to find out those details yet?
So far, ranked against both larger and smaller foundations, they do not appear to do anything very unique aside from its uber-high profile namesake.
Lastly, those of you took econ in high school or college may remember the term 'opportunity cost'. For every dollar that gets spent on cars for clunkers, there is another dollar NOT spent elsewhere. (Let's take gov't out of the equation since they don't play by any rules.) This means that $20m for 'awareness'. (I am sorry, I am not aware of what that means.) is $20m less available to some pointy heads in a lab rolling up their sleeves and maybe curing something. The pointy heads go unfunded, the disease goes uncured, but there are 6 racks of really cool overpriced t-shirts at d!cks sporting goods sporting a black and gold neat swoosh and some cool 'Hey man I
REALLY care !' slogan. That next guy will
tell you he cares, but I just dropped $30 on a shirt and a bracelet to advertise how much more I care then him. Where the profits go, if they go anywhere, isn't terribly exciting to most. Being able to wear that bracelet or flash that little advertisement for their own aggrandizement is the big payoff for lots of donors.
Sorry, but it's true. If the sporting goods store sends $3 per shirt to LAF, let them put a little can at the exit to the store. Let's compare the revenuesmonth to month. They want that shirt much more than to just give to what they think is a worthy cause, I'd be willing to wager. They want that bracelet. THAT is the payoff. They spent the money so they can advertise how thoughtful they are. The foundation and their funds raised through t-shirt sales are benefiting each other mutually in a way that writing a check towards some vague far away sounding research project never will. LAF enables many donors to feel good about himself and in return it enables Lance to live a very privileged existence and maintain the delusion to himself that he is just a super duper guy.
To me, it's a scam, to you it's a great and noble enterprise. We can argue the point ad nauseum. Each of us has made up our minds.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram