Business owners are finally catching on! Hit the anti's where it hurts the most. In their WALLETS!
Posted on 06/12/2004 4:25:27 PM PDT by SheLion
Some pull support for Cancer Society fund raisers
No one is a fan of cancer.
But some Oshkosh restaurant owners lately have less love for the American Cancer Society.
As a form of protest, a few city restaurants fuming over Oshkosh’s two-month-old smoking ban ordinance have refused to donate food or drinks to annual cancer-cure fund-raisers fueling the organization.
The referendum drive that led to the ban was supported financially by the Cancer Society.
“If we could be 100 percent sure the money we were donating was going to research and not to put us out of business, we’d do it,” said Phil Levine, owner of Jeff’s on Rugby, 1005 Rugby St.
During the referendum campaign Levine warned the ban would lead to lost business — something he and others say already has come to pass.
Levine said he and other restaurant owners haven’t given up on charitable giving — an Oshkosh Tavern League aluminum can drive, for instance, supports the Oshkosh Area Humane Society. But they draw the line at supporting an organization that they think targeted their businesses.
The Cancer Society paid for and printed pro-ban postcards mailed to hundreds of city residents urging voters on April 6 to support the mandatory smoke-out in eateries.
When asked if that support motivated the boycott on Cancer Society events, Levine said: “Bingo.”
“Why take it out on the cancer association?” asked Jay Koepke, who has for 17 years coordinated the Bill Koepke Cancer Memorial Golf Tournament at Westhaven Golf Course in honor of his father, a cancer victim. “There are lot of others things you can take it out on, right?”
Koepke said some city restaurants still are paying $75 to sponsor golf holes at this year’s event, Saturday.
But he said he was disappointed this year when turned down by Jeff’s, which for several years supported the golf outing with free potato salad and golfing participation, he said.
Koepke’s mother used to work for Levine, and Levine regularly sponsored a hole at the tournament, participated and paid for food. Now, Levine said, “I just can’t do it.”
Levine said restaurant owners had the final say in supporting or declining to support Cancer Society events. There is no “organized” protest, he said. He and about 26 other restaurant owners and groups are on the brink of asking a county judge to halt the smoking ban and consider its legality.
The Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” fund-raiser, which will be held today and Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Titan Stadium, has run into resistance, too.
A few Oshkosh restaurants this year, like Wisconsin Farms Restaurant, 2450 S. Washburn St., declined to participate. That forced Relay organizers to look elsewhere for meals and drinks that fuel the fund-raising walkers.
Fred Ubrig, an owner of Wisconsin Farms, said his wife parted ways with the Relay board after last year helping raise food-sales funds totaling about $3,500.
“When she found out the American Cancer Society donated $4,000 to Breathe Free to help them eventually hurt us, she resigned from the board.”
Ubrig said his wife still plans to work more directly with cancer patients. He said their restaurant, another possible plaintiff in the court effort to halt the ban, has seen business fall off about $1,500 a week since the ban went into effect.
Relay organizers declined to comment on the loss of some local restaurant support.
On Thursday, the Cancer Society spoke only of the support that remains in Oshkosh.
“While many nonprofits have experienced a downturn in funding, the Oshkosh referendum has galvanized support for the American Cancer Society,” Jill Thurke, income development coordinator for the Cancer Society’s Northeast Wisconsin region, stated.
“We are pleased with the many sponsorships that we have from the Oshkosh community. We have received support from restaurants and their patrons in the past and we look forward to their continued support.”
Alex Hummel: (920) 426-6669 or ahummel@thenorthwestern.com.
I have lost all respect for them AND the American Lung Association, who both have their own dirty agenda's.
Business owners are finally catching on! Hit the anti's where it hurts the most. In their WALLETS!
So do I! Business owners are finally finding out about the lies the highly paid professional anti's have been feeding them, and the Business owners are finally waking up.
Hit the anti's in their wallets!
The American Cancer Society
The American Lung Association
Both have their own agenda's for the war on the smokers. It's got to stop!
I'm more worrried about their health, it's very harmful to them as well. I'm a reformed ex myself, so taking the low road seems a wiser choice then insults.
Your the moron!
Same here. Most people blindly donate thinking that these orgs are working on cancer cures, not imposing facist policies on PRIVATE business.
Don't look at me........I have great hygiene.
Aside from that, this article is about business's owners trying to keep their heads above water. And they do not want to have to lay off employees, or worse yet........close.
This should be left up to the business owner and his patrons to have a smoking section or not. The ACS should keep their nose out of it. The same goes for the government.
The crusader's work is never done.
Most charitable monies go to the Big Wigs that run them. What's left goes for the "little people." Nope, not me. They can pull the money from someplace else. They get no more from me!
This must be anothe one of those businesses that hasn't been affected by the smoking ban.
Too bad the American Cancer Society is feeling the trickle-down.
Should we have a pity party for them?
I used to have great respect for these organizations.....but not anymore. Not just because of the smoking issue - but because of their wasteful spending habits, which are only out done by politicians wasting taxpayer money.
The law of unintended consequences.
That's quite a loss of revenue!!! ~whew!
God bless your mother and of course, I will pray for her recovery.
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