1. Q: Can cancer truly be cured?
A: Certainly, and science is closer than ever to that cure. Remember that until recently Hepatitis C was a fatal condition; now it is 95% curable via a daily pill taken over 12 weeks. Before Jonas Salk and his Polio vaccine, Polio was every bit as terrifying as cancer. Eleanor Roosevelt’s decision in 1936 to allow the “newfangled” science of antibiotics to treat her son’s seemingly fatal strep infection, and his speedy recovery, helped lead to the mass acceptance of antibiotics in America. Human history is characterized by sudden life changing medical advances, from Penicillin to heart transplants to stem cells. A cancer cure, we feel, is imminent.
2. Q: But will my one dollar make a difference?
A: Absolutely, we are counting on you and your dollar to make all of the difference. And if every American follows suit, that means $325 million dollars.
3. Q: Why were these 28 cancer therapies and treatments chosen and not others?
A: We feel strongly that these 28 diverse therapies represent truly game changing, curative solutions, that address most cancers and that can lead to a cure for all of them.
4. Q: Is Cancer-A-Gogo raising money just for pediatric cancer?
A: No, we are seeking to raise funds to cure all types of cancers in both adults and children. In fact, most cancer therapies have overlap potential, whereby therapies that work in one age group can often be modified to work in another. The sad reality is that pediatric cancer research is woefully underfunded, and Cancer-A-Gogo is attempting to ameliorate that picture too.
5. Q: Are you giving cancer sufferers false hope with your positive spin on curing cancer?
A: Cancer sufferers and their families need hope more than anyone, and we are delighted to provide it, because we have no doubt, based upon our meetings and conversations with many of the world’s top cancer researchers, that a cancer cure is closer than ever before.
6. Q: Is anyone profiting from this fundraising, other than the cancer researchers?
A: No. All administrative expenses for Cancer-A-Gogo are being paid for by the McDowell family. And all funds donated to Cancer-A-Gogo are dispersed to the doctors and scientists and institutions leading the war on cancer and conducting the clinical trials to cure it. The only “administrative fee” that Cancer-A-Gogo acknowledges, is that charged by the credit card companies (Visa, American Express, MasterCard) to process donations. This fee is the standard 6-8% of every transaction. (PayPal charges – (Flat rate per transaction 2.9% + $0.30) Checks, however, are not subject to any fee!!
7. Q: Is Cancer-A-Gogo an official charity?
A: Cancer-A-Gogo is now an approved 501C3 charity via the IRS.
8. Q: Why did you call it Cancer-A-Gogo?
A: We felt Cancer-A-Gogo was a catchy memorable name. We sure hope it is. But also, as we intend to encourage community fundraisers be they bake sales or dance-a-thons, we felt it had a nice friendly feel which acknowledged the disease but also the lighthearted sense that we could work together to defeat it!
9. Q: Isn’t there enough money out there from philanthropists and government to fund these therapies?
A: There is indeed a lot of money out there. Unfortunately much of it goes to support infrastructure, such as the building of beautiful buildings and hospitals, parking lots and emergency rooms. ALL OF THE therapies outlined in Cancer-A-Gogo are in need of funding right now to complete their brilliant research and initiate their clinical trials, and we are channeling our funds, when received, directly into the hands of these scientists to staff their labs with equipment and researchers. Nor do we give our funds as “grants,” which are susceptible to overhead expenses from the institutions in question; sometimes these overhead expenses can be as high as 60%. By giving our funding as “gifts” directly to the doctors labs, we avoid any overhead deductions, and ensure that our money goes right to work, curing cancer.
10. Q: Vice President Biden recently announced a ‘Cancer Moonshot’ program to cure cancer with a billion dollar in government funds. Why is your program necessary?
A: We think the idea of the Moonshot program is beautiful, and applaud the government if and when the funds are dispersed. As yet, not a single dollar has been deployed as part of this program, and while the government and Congress mean well, political exigencies have a way of interrupting well intentioned government plans. Cancer sufferers, on the other hand, need immediate help and hope.