On Deck for a Cause

[VermeulT]

I haven't seen anything on here for a while about this..... is HAL still doing the walk for a cure/ cause on every cruise?

[QueenGlassHalfFull]

Not sure if it is being done on every cruise but it was done on the January cruise of the Zaandam to SA and Antarctica.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[HALcruiser2]

I participated in this on the cruise I was on last week (Zuiderdam - Feb. 3-14).

[Copper10-8]

The answer is Yes; it's being done on all fifteen ships

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2014/02/04/on-deck-for-a-cause-supports-world-cancer-day/

[LoveHAL]

The answer is Yes; it's being done on all fifteen ships

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2014/02/04/on-deck-for-a-cause-supports-world-cancer-day/

And the best part is that HAL has expanded the "giving" end to support a number of organizations around the world. No longer only one organization that got in some "political" trouble over a year ago about women's issues. That one is no longer on the list of organizations that benefit from Passenger donations.

[donaldsc]

And the best part is that HAL has expanded the "giving" end to support a number of organizations around the world. No longer only one organization that got in some "political" trouble over a year ago about women's issues. That one is no longer on the list of organizations that benefit from Passenger donations.

 

I wonder if they had a drop in participants on the ships when Susan G Komen had those problems. My wife and I used to support them and we have stopped although we still support other cancer groups. We are careful about checking out the politics and especially the financials of any group we support and we will not participate in any activity that directs support to just one group.

 

DON

[rafinmd]

The answer is Yes; it's being done on all fifteen ships

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2014/02/04/on-deck-for-a-cause-supports-world-cancer-day/

 

Is there some minimum length where they're done? I'm thinking about things like the very short repos like Vancouver-Seattle (and maybe even Vancouver-San Diego).

 

Roy

[Copper10-8]

Is there some minimum length where they're done? I'm thinking about things like the very short repos like Vancouver-Seattle (and maybe even Vancouver-San Diego).

 

Roy

 

Not sure about that Roy; they're done on the seven dayers and longer; not sure about anything shorter than that

[Tampa Girl]

I wonder if they had a drop in participants on the ships when Susan G Komen had those problems. My wife and I used to support them and we have stopped although we still support other cancer groups. We are careful about checking out the politics and especially the financials of any group we support and we will not participate in any activity that directs support to just one group.

 

DON

 

 

And have you checked out how many cents on the dollar actually goes to the organizations?

[LoveHAL]

And have you checked out how many cents on the dollar actually goes to the organizations?

HAL has always clearly indicated the amount of their admin fee (the tee shirt, wrist band, etc)on their paperwork distributed on-board. If I remember correctly, approximately 80-85% goes to the various charities. While started by HAL, it has been such a successful program that, if memory serves me correctly, I recall reading that all other Carnival Corp lines now have a similar program.

 

Prior to HAL dropping the Susan G Koman foundation, I spoke to a number of people that decided not to participate due to the foundation's political stance. How big the decline is anyone's guess.... but certainly HAL made a change in the program for some reason. I am happy to say that my wife and I are proud to be participating once again.

Edited February 17, 2014 by LoveHAL

[rafinmd]

HAL has always clearly indicated the amount of their admin fee (the tee shirt, wrist band, etc)on their paperwork distributed on-board. If I remember correctly, approximately 80-85% goes to the various charities. While started by HAL, it has been such a successful program that, if memory serves me correctly, I recall reading that all other Carnival Corp lines now have a similar program.

 

Prior to HAL dropping the Susan G Koman foundation, I spoke to a number of people that decided not to participate due to the foundation's political stance. How big the decline is anyone's guess.... but certainly HAL made a change in the program for some reason. I am happy to say that my wife and I are proud to be participating once again.

 

I'm quite sure the bolded statement isn't true. I know I haven't seen it on either Carnival or Cunard. I know that Carnival has a "Groove for St. Jude" charity program which is a dance where t-shirts are sold. Cunard auctions a navigation chart off each cruise to benefit "Princes' Trust", but not a real participation event. It's a shame, it really does belong on all the lines, especially in the current form. Of course, not all lines have wrap-around promenade decks, and the event would be a lot less fun on some of the partners.

 

Roy

[Tampa Girl]

HAL has always clearly indicated the amount of their admin fee (the tee shirt, wrist band, etc)on their paperwork distributed on-board. If I remember correctly, approximately 80-85% goes to the various charities. While started by HAL, it has been such a successful program that, if memory serves me correctly, I recall reading that all other Carnival Corp lines now have a similar program.

 

Prior to HAL dropping the Susan G Koman foundation, I spoke to a number of people that decided not to participate due to the foundation's political stance. How big the decline is anyone's guess.... but certainly HAL made a change in the program for some reason. I am happy to say that my wife and I are proud to be participating once again.

 

 

Actually, I probably misstated my questions. I have no doubt that HAL probably gives that much to the various charities. The real question is how much of the money received by the charities actually goes for the research and not into the administrator's budget. That has been the biggest problem with the various charities, and there has been much publicity about the so-called benevolent associations seeking funds. It has certainly deterred us from donating unless we can see the track records of the charitable associations.

[BeagleOne]

You can check out sites like charity navigator to see what % of donations goes where. I've never done the On Deck thing on HAL because the times I have sailed on them, the money went to Komen. While I'm very pleased they've dropped Komen, I'm still not sure I'd do it, simply because I'd rather just write checks to the groups I support and not have some of the money go to HAL. But to each their own!

[campisfortis]

Interesting, I have increased my support for the Susan G Komen Foundation, specifically because they were attacked by the PP mafia for daring to stop donating to PP. I have no respect for PP. The US is supposed to be a free country and nobody should be blackballed the way the Susan G. Komen foundation was.

 

Regardless of that dispute, it does make sense for HAL to "mix it up" a bit on their donations and I plan to participate in the "On Deck for a Cause" on my next cruise.

[donaldsc]

And have you checked out how many cents on the dollar actually goes to the organizations?

 

I always check. Another thing to check is the salary of the executive director of the charities you are supporting. Also check the percent of the money raised that goes to actually help people.

 

DON

[BeagleOne]

The Planned Parenthood kerfuffle had no effect on my level of support for Komen. Several years before that, I found out that their CEO (Susan G. Komen's sister, Nancy Brinker) paid herself almost $550,000 per year; that under 30% of the charity income went to actual research; and that they were suing anyone who dared to use the phrase "for the cure". Those three things were enough to make me decide to donate to other charities.

 

The current CEO is paid $475,000 per year. Brinker is now the "global strategy coordinator" and is paid almost $400,000 per year. So that's close to a million dollars in donation money just to pay two people! And I always did wonder why they were giving money to PP for "breast cancer screenings", since PP does NOT offer mammograms at its clinics. It refers women to other facilities, and of course some women don't go. Since mammograms are the current standard of care for early detection, and a breast exam by a professional does NOT increase the rate of detection over mammograms alone, not to offer them on-site as part of "breast cancer screenings" is disingenuous at best.

 

Not a big fan of either organization, and I'm glad HAL is now donating to other charities. YMMV, of course.