Local Komen chapter seeks to replace lost funding

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Earlier this year the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization pulled its funding from Planned Parenthood on the national level, but it was the local Komen chapters that took a hit with a drop in donations, which may prompt cutbacks here in central Indiana.

About 30,000 women in central Indiana depend on the money raised from Race for the Cure. This year's race had more than 10,000 fewer people sign up, which in turn means less money to help those who need it most.

“We would not be able to provide the services we provide to breast cancer should the Komen funds go away,” said Fred Duncan, executive director of the Little Red Door Cancer Agency.

Fred Duncan spends his day trying to find the money to help cancer patients pay for treatment and services. One source is the Komen central Indiana office.

“We connect folks with the winter assistance program; we keep people's heat turned on. We got a woman last year a new furnace because she had been heating her apartment with her stove while she was going through chemotherapy,” Duncan said.

This year the agency received nearly $400,000 to help fund its mammography assistance program, and now that money is in jeopardy.

“We would be very stressed about that. We haven't had to turn anyone away for services in many years, certainly not in the three years that I have been, but we cannot make that money up,” Duncan said.

Last year Race for Cure had 37,470 people participate, this year 27,126. Last year $2.6 million was raised, and it funded 17 local agencies. This year that number is at $1.8 million, and the organization will make a decision on funding local agencies this fall.

“We had 27,000 people on race day. If each one of those people raised $25, a simple $25, or gave $25 this would be the most successful race ever,” said Dana Curish, the executive director of Susan G Komen Central Indiana.

Curish is worried about funding but still hopeful the final weeks of their fundraising will close the gap.

“We understand lives will be lost, and this isn't just dollars and cents on a financial statement, it's women's lives that will be impacted,” she said.

 The executive director said to help make up the lost money, they're reaching out to key funding businesses and donors and hope to get what’s called immediate short-term gap funding by their May 21 deadline. The agency is also looking at ways to cut back within its office.