Interesting commentary on charity walks and athletic fundraisers

While it doesn't pertain directly to NIH research, this article may be of interest to readers who are engaged in research on cancer or other diseases with large foundations that support research. The article discusses the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk and several other athletic fundraising events and provides information on the actual amount raised after expenses. In some cases as much as 92 cents on the dollar goes directly toward support of programs and/or research, but in others less than 50 cents per dollar goes toward research/program support after expenses. Perhaps of most interest to researchers, the article discusses charity walk "fatigue"- in essence, now that there are myriad races, walks, and similar events, people who were once inclined to sponsor friends and relatives are now being more selective in their giving. The implications for researchers, of course, are that funding levels from these large foundations for research projects may decline unless they create new and innovative methods of fundraising.