BMW Drive for the Cure

BALYKI

BMW Drive for the Cure

BALYKI

Does anyone know anything about the Drive for the Cure?  How it works, what you have to do, etc. I've been to BMW's site and to Komen's site but I would like more details. Has anyone participated in this?

Registration isn't open in my area until 6/1/08. But I would like to know more about it before I register.

Thanks!

Madison

I think you go to the BMW dealership, test drive a BMW, and they donate a certain amount of money for each test drive.  They probably will have a specific car they will let you test drive.   Our dealership has a car you can test drive before you purchase a BMW.......I didn't get to drive my BMW until  I purchased the car and  was driving off the lot, after all the paperwork.

Registration isn't required at our dealership.......just show up and tell them you are there for the "Drive for the Cure".   For each person test driving, they donate a certain amount.

NancyM

I went to the one here in Utah last year.  My husband and I were told what route to drive.  It was fun, driving a grey BMW with the large pink ribbon logo on it....there were 3 or 4 matching cars on the road so it got the attention of people as we went down the street.

However, someone later posted on bc.org about the pollution this event causes.  I had never even thought about that.  It isn't just the emissions from the drive around town, but they also drive this fleet of cars around the country.  The person who posted suggested that BMW just donate the money and keep the cars off the road.  I think that was an eye-opener for me. 

Then I realized the only other people I saw at the event were all the ones I had met at the Komen events in town....it really was not ever advertised to the general public as far as I could tell.  In my opinion it's benefiting (advertising for) BMW as opposed to raising awareness.

Madison

I have been thinking about your post.

We had the Komen walk in our City (2 weeks ago), with 8,400 in attendance.  Those people (including myself) had to drive to the event (pollution).

The Komen committee had to set up a stage, the DJ's had to set up speaker systems.

Ford was giving away free tee-shirts and other free items.

One of the organizations was giving away free breast cancer key chains

Yoplat was giving away free yogart.

The local coffee  beanery (they make their own brand of coffee) was giving away coffee

There were free bananas.

Also free were,

bagels, and other pastries, smoothies, jambalaya,

pizza from a national chain, bottled water, and so many other snack items.

It holds true for the Komen Race For the Cure, as well as the American Cancer Society Race, and all other organizations that raise funds for charity, illness, cancer, etc.,  that if each of the companies who donate money,  then there would be no need to hold a "Fund Raiser".

The Komen Fund Raise, The American Cancer Society, The MBW Drive for the Cure, etc. are held to raise AWARENESS, awareness that lives are changed, lives are lost.  It helps to keep our struggles made know to the public.  It allows us to say.....Find A Cure, we don't want to lose one more friend to cancer.

I will attend my BMW Drive for the Cure, the American Cancer Society fund raiser, I did attend the Komen event .

These fund raises are an opportunity to put a face to cancer.

Bez

We did the Komen walk last year but this year my hubby and I have so far got together approx 60 in a team from work for the next walk.  A lot of people had heard about the walk but never give it a second thought until it was suggested as a team building exercise in the office.

Madison

There were many, many teams at the walk.   Some from work offices, some friends supporting a friend with bc.   I saw one family that had many, many relatives that have had bc, one in active treatment.

It also gives an opportunity for those newly diagnosed to interact with individuals who have been through treatment.  Encouragement and hugs means so much to those newly diagnosed.

NancyM

Oh, please don't misunderstand - I'm not saying that fundraisers are bad, I'm only talking about the one here that seemed to be unadvertised - only BC survivors were there, so it seemed the only ones getting awareness were already "in the know" about cancer!  Hopefully other BMW events are better planned.

In comparison, last year I spent the whole Race for the Cure at the education booth, giving out the keychains that said "I Am The Cure" on them.  The only way people could get one was to answer some questions for me.  There was a wheel they could spin and it landed on a question.  The answers were on the table so that they could see them.  This was amazing, and I LOVED doing it - I feel I helped educate HUNDREDS of people that day!  For example, the question, "what are the two biggest risk factors for cancer?" was answered wrong by about 99% of people - they all said "family history" and I got to say "I had an aggressive cancer and I have no family history" and you could tell it sunk in....no one is safe from this disease. (The correct answer is "being a woman" and "getting older")

And we always get great TV coverage at the race from our ABC station.  That's what I mean about raising awareness vs. not raising awareness when it comes to fundraisers.  Slapping a pink ribbon on a product is not always a guarantee that it's for the right reason...the company then needs to make sure the message is getting to those who need to hear it.  I'll stand in the hot sun for hours with my Taxol-neuropathy painful feet if I think I can educate someone before I'll take an air conditioned ride around the block in a luxury car if no one knows why I'm doing it.  Unless they let me drive with a bullhorn out the window!!  Actually, that would be wonderful!  GET A MAMMOGRAM!  ONE IN EIGHT WOMEN WILL GET BREAST CANCER! as I go down the road!

I'm interested to hear how other events are done across the country.  Do you all feel that the message is getting out to the general public?

rferraris

We just had our BMW drive last Thursday and our event (Central Ga) was very well advertized.  Our drive this year was on a weekday and I didn't think we would have as many drivers to show up as we did last year.  Well I was wrong!  We had almost 200 drivers and they drove over 4,000 miles from 9-4.  BMW provided 24 cars and our course was 13.5 miles.  BMW has given $12 million to Komen over the last 12 years.  Thursday evening volunteers transported the cars to the next location (we got money for those miles too!).  The next town does not have a Komen Affiliate so the money they raise goes to National.  The amazing thing about Komen (Race for the Cure) is that the committees are required to keep their expense budget under a certain percent (our 2007 was 13%).  75% of the money raised stays in our community to assist women that are either under insured or not insured.  We give grants for mammograms, travel assistance and education events.  We have also granted money to a medical college in our area for research.  The remaining 25% goes to

rferraris

We just had our BMW drive last Thursday and our event (Central Ga) was very well advertized.  Our drive this year was on a weekday and I didn't think we would have as many drivers to show up as we did last year.  Well I was wrong!  We had almost 200 drivers and they drove over 4,000 miles from 9-4.  BMW provided 24 cars and our course was 13.5 miles.  BMW has given $12 million to Komen over the last 12 years.  Thursday evening volunteers transported the cars to the next location (we got money for those miles too!).  The next town does not have a Komen Affiliate so the money they raise goes to National. 

The amazing thing about Komen (Race for the Cure) is that the committees are required to keep their expense budget under a certain percent (our 2007 was 13%).  75% of the money raised stays in our community to assist women that are either under insured or not insured.  We give grants for mammograms, travel assistance and education events.  We have also granted money to a medical college in our area for research.  The remaining 25% goes to National for research.  No other organization has spent the amount of money on breast cancer research than Komen ($10 billion).  There hasn't been a break through that wasn't touched by Komen in some way.