Raffle to support the American Cancer Society

[tburnsten]

I also posted this in the Cancer Support forum, but I figured Guns will get a different reception, and increase the visibility.

Specifically, breast cancer research at the American Cancer Society. The prize is a pink camo Dura-coated Stag Arms AR-15, the pictures are not the final finish, it is still being worked on, but it is pretty representative of what the pattern will look like. Tickets are $5 a piece, and all proceeds are going to the American Cancer Society. All state, federal, and local laws apply, so if you live in a gun-unfriendly state like California then they plan on selling it for you and sending you a check instead. Or you could put it up for auction online, adding even more to the charitable contribution. If there are any questions on how you would go about receiving it, I can probably answer most of them and if not, FBMG would be more than happy to answer, as would the guns subforum in DU.


Original pics were too large, and hotlinked, so I will omit them. They can be found at the first link


http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/the-pink-c ... /
http://www.fbmginc.com/Breast-Cancer-Raffle-AR-15_p_1-8 ...

[jeanruss]

1. not a penny

As the parent of a child who died of cancer, I wouldn't contribute a penny to the ACS. I have seen up close how cancer is exploited. They spend almost nothing on prevention. Their is not money spent on a cure, but spent on treatments that are band-aids, and often cause the disease they are supposed to cure. It actively works to discredit treatments that work but aren't lucrative. They are sitting on a fortune yet want more. There hasn't been any new treatments for my daughter's cancer in almost 30 years. There still isn't even a TEST for ovarian cancer, since my aunt died at 39 years old, over 40 years ago! The ACS is a gatekeeper for the pharmaceutical companies and should be abolished. The last thing they want is a cure for cancer. They want cancer "management". That's where the money is.

[tburnsten]

3. Wow, I was unaware of that

However I still want to win that raffle. I am sorry for your loss, the best person I have ever met was one of my best friends who we lost to cancer at a young age, after numerous battles with the disease.

They are a non-profit organization right?

[virginia mountainman]

5. I had heard the same thing, from several folks "in the know" nt

[jody]

6. I agree with jeanruss, ACS is more of a money making machine for a few than a charitable org. See

Charity Navigator re American Cancer Society.

[MicaelS]

13. Twenty one percent??

Of their money goes to "Fund-raising Expenses"? That's appalling.

[krispos42]

2. Pictures

Hey, if you don't like the color scheme, you can always get it refinished!

[tburnsten]

4. and if you think ARs are evil, you can

do your part by keeping this evil mofo out of the wrong hands by owning it yourself!

[AtheistCrusader]

17. That is fucking hideous.

Holy crap. I actually feel bad for an inanimate object. Look at what you've done to me.

Next time I hope they just do a straight pink with gloss finish, not this hokey pink and bruised camo pattern.


Ugh.

[iverglas]

7. pretty desperate

What the firearms industry/lobby won't do to gain respectability. And whose misfortune it won't exploit in that end ...

I think research funding for prostate cancer is needed. I think the boys should consider that.

I also think the Cancer Society should (politely, if it wishes) decline, regardless of anyone's opinion about it any other way.

[tburnsten]

8. it isn't the "firearms lobby"

this is a small FFL based in Utah that is putting up the rifle and DuraCoating job, raffling it, and giving all the proceeds to the American Cancer Society on their own dime. Hardly qualifies as a publicity stunt from the "firearms industry/lobby".


Why on earth should the cancer society decline the contribution? They are raffling off a legal consumer commodity and giving all the money from it to a charitable organization, at least an organization they feel is charitable, rightly or wrongly. I was unaware of any controversy around the ACS until I posted this.

[iverglas]

10. No. 9 was for you. ;) n/t

[iverglas]

9. oh, do forgive me

I just can't help seeing a publicity stunt when one is staring me in the face.

[tburnsten]

11. It's incredibly small to be a publicity stunt.

[iverglas]

12. and yet, oh look

It seems to be working.

[tburnsten]

14. Sure is, getting a little bit of fundraising done

Although like MichaelS said up above, 21% fundraising expenses is appalling. I still want the rifle though. Maybe I will send the guy runnning it an email and let him know of a different, more worthy anti-cancer organization with some data supporting it.

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Pretty common in the US actually.

Rarely has any sanction or support from the manufacturer. Some of my co-workers funded some care packages for troops in Afghanistan this way. They bought the gun up front out of their own pockets. Nothing to do with the NRA or manufacturer.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[iverglas]

19. yes ... and ...

was someone talking about manufacturers?

What I said was:

What the firearms industry/lobby won't do to gain respectability.

Perhaps you thought I meant "manufacturers" when I said "industry". I didn't. The outfit involved here is a dealer, so I wouldn't have been talking about manufacturers. I meant it generically.


An interesting phenomenon. I suppose there aren't a lot of things worth, what, $500 to $1000 that people would buy lottery tickets on so enthusiastically. Many people have enough televisions already, I suppose, and one can just never have enough guns. Still, though, I might think the market for lottery tickets for a nice big flat screen would be larger than for a firearm. Just not as much fun I guess.


To kill two birds with one stone:

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Yeah. And most of the time it's the conveyor of known carcinogens.

The fact that the Cancer Society would accept funds raised by smoking tobacco products (and too obviously promoting tobacco products) pretty much does demonstrate that it's a whore, I guess.

[AtheistCrusader]

20. Ok, I did ignore 'lobby'

Edit: I guess you explained what you meant by 'industry'. I generally don't consider retailers part of what you indicated with your usage, but makes sense now.


It is a high ticket item. Just having observed a few raffles like this one, I would say it's an effective fundraising tactic. Not sure why a firearm would appeal more than a TV, but your comment seems to have some merit. I have gone out of my way to purchase firearms I have not even used yet. I can't picture purchasing a TV I don't intend to start using right away. Some do have collectors value though.


Agreed on the irony of the tobacco related fundraiser.

[virginia mountainman]

15. Actually Iverglas..

Firearm raffles are exceedingly common...

But Most of the "ruling class" folks up in their Ivory Towers, seldom see us pheasants, we are to low for them to see us down here, in the real world.

Just look at Google....and most small rural Fire Dept's and School Booster clubs, DON"T have websites..

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=gun+raffle

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. We did a Poker-Smoker for the ACS a few years ago.

A local cigar shop ran it. The tickets were 50 bucks, the cigar shop donated about $1000 in cigars and pipes for the winners and gave out free cigars at the event. It was a lot of fun and we raised like $3000 for the ACS.

David