Komen Foundation still reeling from Planned Parenthood controversy
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SEATTLE -- The annual Race for a Cure to fight breast cancer is just weeks away, but organizers from the Komen Foundation say they're still reeling after the foundation first cut and then restored grants to Planned Parenthood earlier this year.
The controversial incident has raised questions about the organization's integrity, and now support is coming from a surprising source.
The 19th Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will begin in just 46 days. This is normally an exciting time for event organizers, but this year is different.
"We're pretty concerned," said Gail Lapasin of Komen Puget Sound. "We definitely have a decline in registrations. In fact, we are tracking 50 percent down now."
The organization's decision to cut and restore funding to Planned Parenthood created a fire storm, and even though the decision was made on a national level, Lapasin said she's feeling the impact right here in the Puget Sound.
"The impact of the race, if we are not meeting our numbers, it's going to be women in our community that are going to suffer," she said.
Lapasin said last year the group raised $1.6 million, with most of the money going directly to residents in Western Washington.
Despite the funding controversy, Mount Baker's Planned Parenthood is hoping people will focus on the bigger picture.
"Their services are critical, their funding is critical and the people who are really going to be hurt by political national debate are the women in Washington state, and we cant let that happen," said Planned Parenthood's Linda McCarthy.
With less than two months to go before the race, organizers are still holding out hope.
"It's fundraising and awareness and we will never stop that message that is our promise," Lapasin said.
Seventy-five percent of the money from the Race for the Cure goes directly to women in western Washington, with the remaining 25 percent funding global research into breast cancer.
The controversial incident has raised questions about the organization's integrity, and now support is coming from a surprising source.
The 19th Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will begin in just 46 days. This is normally an exciting time for event organizers, but this year is different.
"We're pretty concerned," said Gail Lapasin of Komen Puget Sound. "We definitely have a decline in registrations. In fact, we are tracking 50 percent down now."
The organization's decision to cut and restore funding to Planned Parenthood created a fire storm, and even though the decision was made on a national level, Lapasin said she's feeling the impact right here in the Puget Sound.
"The impact of the race, if we are not meeting our numbers, it's going to be women in our community that are going to suffer," she said.
Lapasin said last year the group raised $1.6 million, with most of the money going directly to residents in Western Washington.
Despite the funding controversy, Mount Baker's Planned Parenthood is hoping people will focus on the bigger picture.
"Their services are critical, their funding is critical and the people who are really going to be hurt by political national debate are the women in Washington state, and we cant let that happen," said Planned Parenthood's Linda McCarthy.
With less than two months to go before the race, organizers are still holding out hope.
"It's fundraising and awareness and we will never stop that message that is our promise," Lapasin said.
Seventy-five percent of the money from the Race for the Cure goes directly to women in western Washington, with the remaining 25 percent funding global research into breast cancer.
