Eduardo Calderon

Staff Writer

Although a current raging trend within the student population, the popular breast cancer bracelets by the Keep a BreastFoundation, infamously labeled ‘i heart boobies’, have garnered some negative attention in recent days. As more schools are banning the bracelets for their questionable message, the actual purpose of the proceeds from sales has been revealed not to fund breast cancer research, as one might imagine, but simply to educate the general population on the subject of breast cancer through community outreach.

“Half [of the profit] goes to breast cancer grants.  Their campaign is to expose people to breast cancer to learn and detect it early on,” Zumiez store clerk Joe Garcia said.

The bracelets can be purchased at Zumiez as well as at numerous other trendy teen shopping centers.

A recent NBC DFW report stated that in 2008, the Keep a Breast Foundation acquired $495,969 in profits alone, but only $6,723 was contributed to breast cancer awareness and prevention.

“It kinda supports the cause, but more should go to research,” Garcia said, “But it is a non-profit organization, so they have to run somehow.”

The rest of the profits support the company, with $56,107 going to t-shirts, $86,873 going for employee salaries, $53,024 for travel expenses, and another $42,455 for office expenses.

“This is ridiculous,” sophomore Mirella Torres said.

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