DISGUSTED with the name change, Shoppers Drug Mart! - The Toronto Weekend to End Women's Cancers

Naamphong · Senior Member

DISGUSTED with the name change, Shoppers Drug Mart!

Harold's Harem · Veteran Member

As a veteran participant, I view Shoppers' involvement as an enhancement to the event. In the Shoppers' announcement, it's mentioned that for 5 years they have provided invaluable support for the event...that's more than good enough for me given the ultimate objectives & goals of the event. As someone who has seen 3 generations of women (mother, sister, niece) in his family affected by various forms of cancer, I welcome all the support we can get. I now have 2 beautiful granddaughters to think about.

This will mark my 8th year doing the event. A major highlight for me (and one that keeps me re-upping) is being surrounded by such like-minded, caring, passionate and dedicated people who give so much of themselves, physically & emotionally, to make this event the great success that it is. I would hate to see anyone opt out of the event for any reason.

To keep in shape for this event, I do various long distance walking events, i.e. half marathons, all of which have underlying charitable causes and are sponsored, or presented by companies such at GoodLife Fitness, Johnson & Johnson, Canon, Scotiabank, etc. and every year for the many years that I have been doing them, the events get better and better.

k8t · Member

I'm personally thrilled that a corporate sponsor thinks highly enough of this event and its importance to women to put their money and their name behind it.

The AVON walk in the USA has a huge presence in the media, and with its followers. I can only hope that this new corporate sponsorship will raise the awareness and presence in Canadian cities and highlight the need for funding of these diseases that are taking so many of our mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, nieces and friends.

Change is not always bad, it's just different

K8T

hjackson · Member

I agree with Harold and k8t, money and public presence are the engines which drive these huge charities. It would be nice to think that commercial enterprise didn't have to intervene but it does.
How do you think the organizers are able to provide us with drinks and food for the weekend, sponsors that have a very visible presence for the entire weekend.
This will be my 7th year taking part in the walk and I welcome any changes that will make it a more successful and meaningful event!
Heather

Naamphong · Senior Member

ok, I see the money part of the contributions. However, why not bill it as the Princess Margaret Hospital Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women's Cancers?

canderson · Member

Hi everyone, I'd like to add some additional perspective on this topic of Shoppers. Shoppers has been a long-time supporter of The Princess Margaret in a number of areas, and they've had a passionate Weekend team in Toronto for the past 5 years, raising over $450k. Shoppers is one of Canada's largest retailers, and they promote the health and wellness of Canadians, and women's health in particular, in mind, body and spirit. Their investment in a national sponsorship of The Weekend means a lot of things, most importantly more money for the cause, greater awareness of The Weekend across Canada, and more participation. If you see this video from their EVP of HR, who herself is a walker and cancer survivor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey5iBSOCIq4&feature=player_embedded - you'll see that Shoppers is aiming to build a team of 1000 walkers and volunteers across Canada in 2010. Isn't that incredible? In addition, they are challenging other organizations to get involved, and promoting the walk through their advertising, so the end result will mean a lot more participants and money to fight women's cancers than we would have had otherwise. That is, after all, why we all walk, and the more support we can get from trusted and respected organizations like Shoppers, the faster we can reach our goal of conquering women's cancers in our lifetime.

As for the new name of the event - the Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women's Cancers Benefiting The Princess Margaret - it is quite a mouthful but it does not mean that this amazing walk is now all about or "run by" Shoppers...this is still 100% about and for The Princess Margaret. It is still the great Weekend as always, but now with the increased support from Shoppers, we hope it will become an even more successful event than ever before and continue to grow. We certainly hope that no one stops doing the walk as a result of these changes...we need everyone's support, whether you are an individual walker or a big team, to reach our goal of conquering women's cancers in our lifetime.

Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions/comments. I also invite you to view Paul Alofs' video message on the 2010 walk at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pBn5xFzR-w&feature=related.

Thanks,

Christine

nbolyea · Veteran Member

Will Shopper's Drug Mart stores be allowing walkers to hold tag days?

canderson · Member

I would suggest approaching each store individually and talking to the manager or even the pharmacist, since they are usually the owners.

devmegsmum · Veteran Member

I do not have a problem with it - it has enhanced visibility.

walker62 · Newbie

I personally don't like the name change either, and am really questioning whether I will participate next year. The main reason I decided to do this walk is because I have family members who are breast cancer survivors, and I want the research dollars to be there should I ever need them. Besides, men also suffer from breast cancer, so this year's walk only benefits women.

Michele O'Leary

devmegsmum · Veteran Member

Excellet response Christine! biggrin

JulieK · Senior Member

In my fundraising I just call it the Weekend to End Cancer. I'm okay taking out Breast but don't like calling it Women's Cancers, and no way am I going to insert a commercial into it.

chubbles · Member

Are we all not walking for one common goal? Is that not what this is about? My team has been participating for the past few years, and there has always been corporate sponsorship, so if Shoppers Drug Mart has decided to jump on board, and create more exposure and awareness for this event, more power to them! We have noticed this year, that more of the people we speak to about this event are aware of it because of something they have seen posted in a Shoppers Drug Mart, so how can this be a bad thing? Everyone has heard of the CIBC Run for the Cure, and it is so well known because of the corporate sponsorship, so how can Shoppers Drug Mart hurt this event? Perhaps this event will become as well known, which will entice more people to participate. All the money still goes to cancer research at the PMH, whether it be for men or women, and even since we have been participating, we have seen great advances in cancer research and treatment throught the PMH.
None of this would be possible without us, and without the corporations that sponsor us. As of today, the Shoppers Drug Mart team has raised over $220,000, probably due to getting their own people more involved. Personally, my team and I will continue to focus on the bigger picture, to "Cure One, Cure All", and perhaps, we will no longer lose people close to us....

devmegsmum · Veteran Member

BRAVO

Naamphong · Senior Member

I have yet to see any kind of 'extra' advertising for the walk since Shoppers has come on board, not a sign or a sheet of paper in any of the mulitple Shoppers I have specifically looked around to find such a sign.
To me it is a coporate money grab and it makes me sick. As soon as they signed on my friends started jabbing me about supporting coporate mantras. This is my final year walking and my research dollars will need to follow my feet...sad perhaps, but that is the way it goes.

Joseph · Veteran Member

Just curious what other fundraising do you and your friends do? I'm pretty sure alot of other events have a name of a corporation in the title!! My guess is you won't be doing many other events at all! At the end of the day I'm not letting any name get in the way of a fundraising venture I feel passionate about!!

chubbles · Member

. a person or group that provides funds for an activity, esp
a. a commercial organization that pays all or part of the cost of putting on a concert, sporting event, etc
b. a person who donates money to a charity when the person requesting the donation has performed a specified activity as part of an organized fund-raising effort
2. chiefly ( US ), ( Canadian ) a person or business firm that pays the costs of a radio or television programme in return for advertising time

This is the definitiion of a sponsor, therefore, how is SDM "Money grabbing"? A sponsor donates money. Since you feel this strongly about corporate sponsorship, I assume you will not have any Sunchips on the walk (Frito-Lay-corporate sponsor), or water (Dasani), or have a cold drink at lunch (Canada Dry), the free bandana we get every year from CIBC, etc etc etc. These are all corporate sponsors who donate their products in exchange for the free advertising. I certainly agree with Joseph's comment, I would be hard-pressed to find a fundraiser without some corporate sponsorship attached to it. I guess that would mean I should not accept any donations from a corporation, because that too, would be corporate sponsorship.
It is too bad that you feel this way, obviously you do this event because you feel strongly about the cause, and it is a shame that your friends are jabbing you, instead of standing by you and supporting you in a cause you believe in.

devmegsmum · Veteran Member

Again, I agree completely.

dosborn · Newbie

I too agree with "chubbles"!

As to Naamphong......"Why are you walking"??????? You really need to ask yourself that question, especially if you are going to let your friends influence you. So.........

dforgeard · Veteran Member

For me I am participating to help END CANCER whether it be women's or men's, I just would like to see it all end sometime. After taking a tour of Princess Margaret last year I learned that even when it was called Breast cancer some money was still given to the other cancers for research and I think that is why the name change. Besides lets face it women don't just die from breast cancer and that there are only a few of many cancer that only apply to one sex or the other.
Naamphong if you are so concerned about advertising this event within Shoppers Drug Mart stores then maybe you should contact them and ask why!!

That is my two cents!!

Doreen H · Veteran Member

The more corporate sponsors the Weekend has, the more money and goods they put towards the event, the more the money we raise can be put to good use for research, treatment and patient care. No one is asking us to wear their corporate logo , or carry a sign or even shop at their store or use their products. Yes, it is a way for the corporation to raise their visibility, but it also benefits the community. There have always been patrons, and benefactors and sponsors. It is how the world works, like it or not.
The main thing is, why are you walking? And can you still do it with passion and from the heart. If not, then you need to move on to something else,

Walker1 · Veteran Member

Right now I have three close friends, all male, with cancer....pancreatic, colon and renal carcinoma. So I just want cancer to end!!! I don't care how; I don't care who sponsors the fundraising events; I don't care which research program the monies go to....breakthroughs in one type of research may impact all types.

I just care that somewhere, somehow, someone finds a way to stop it! I am tired of hearing the 'c' word.

So I walk (and ride) with that hope in mind...trusting that our monies are being applied appropriately. Anything that encourages more people (and corporations) to participate is good.

Only my personal opinion.

Donna