new england division fence against breast cancer?

[whtouche]

I feel like this has been mentioned on here before but I'm not sure, and if so I don't think it's been discussed enough. The new england division in cooperation with the New England Fencing Alliance are putting on a tournament they are calling the "fence against breast cancer" tournament which, I believe, they are screwing up really badly.
The good stuff: all entry fees will be donated to "Making strides against breast cancer". They are encouraging donations at the event as well, with a "light breakfast" as incentive. Neat.

Ok, now the part which is....I mean, really kind of stupid. You would think that a tournament which has as it's goal to raise money for and spread awareness of breast cancer would want to cast as wide a net as possible, right? A three weapon open, a 6 weapon open even. Something that could expect a reasonably high turnout?

You would expect that. You would be wrong.

http://www.neusfa.org/News/FenceAgai...8/Default.aspx

It is exclusively a womens foil tournament. For women who are 30 years of age or older. Only.

I legitimately don't know very much about breast cancer. But I do believe that it doesn't exclusively target women 30 and older. Or even exclusively women for that matter. And certainly not exclusively foil fencers, but that's less of a relevant point.

What message is this tournament trying to send? We want to raise money to fight breast cancer, but we don't want to be inconvenienced with the need to manage a large meet? Are we trying to reinforce misconceptions about breast cancer?

I don't know what else to say. Does this tournament as constructed and presented make sense to anyone?
Hopefully they change the format of this tournament, to at least make it open, if not expand it further. I'm out of words.

[Kristenilda]

As a woman under thirty, and a sabre fencer to boot, I'm truly baffled to be excluded from supporting the fight against breast cancer. What's going on here!?

[MyrddinsPrecint]

I wrote about this in a journal entry-- and this makes me pretty damn conflicted since my mother is a breast cancer survivor (and i'm 21 and fence anything other than foil.)

Any money that goes to the fight against breast cancer is great in my book. But this seems unnecessarily restrictive.

I understand the desire to have an event with a weird age cutoff, as I'm a supporter of "Vet22". So.... 30 isn't where I would cut it off, but, sure, I'll go with that. But why foil? And why only women? I think that if the event were all three women's events, or both foil events, I would be less confused. As is, I'm baffled.

Oh, and Ben, you're right. Breast Cancer, while most likely to strike women, and most likely to strike older women, lots of people get it. Old, young, men, women. And LOTS of people are affected. And lots of people, I imagine, would love to be able to do something for this tournament, and really.... can't. (and the breast cancer cutoff I at least hear the most of is 40+.........)

[KD5MDK]

They could of course just donate the money. But it seems to eliminate the whole point of the tournament then.

[bbower]

I can't name more than 5 30+ women's foil fencers in the area.

You aren't alone in your shock as to how this event was designed to exclude 99% of New England division members.

[keith]

But why foil? And why only women? I think that if the event were all three women's events, or both foil events, I would be less confused. As is, I'm baffled.

so some thoughts.

why foil; 'cause they're foilists?

why only women; male foilists don't wash their kit enough (even the old ones)?

Strikes me as a perfectly reasonable way to get a vet woman's circuit up and running.

[KD5MDK]

Aside from the non-standard definition of Veteran and all.

[keith]

Aside from the non-standard definition of Veteran and all.

borrowed from the standard vet-22 definition

[KD5MDK]

That's the Adult definition.

[keith]

That's the Adult definition.

hmm not sure Vet-22 and Adult are interchangeable.

[seak]

The idea is that you are post college and hence don't have mommy and daddy's financial support to back your fencing, or a college to subsidize said fencing as a mommy and daddy substitute. (gross generalization)

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Some clarifications--

I have no problem with there being weird events that target specific groups, specifically proved by me being in favor of Vet22. I'm not sure why 30 was picked as the age, but, y'know, not my event, whatever.

And there are a surprisingly large number of people coming out of the woodwork for this event( http://askfred.net/Events/whoIsComin..._id=4015#18730 ). Either they are fencing because it's a fundraiser, or they're fencing becase this is an event that there was a demand for. That's great, either way.

But if you actually want to make a bunch of money, this doesn't seem to be the best way.


In fact, this only makes sense to me if we're going to be very very cynical--- If this is going to be a circuit (apparently that's the aim), you could get people from the age group to fence because it's a fundraiser for breast cancer, and then convince them they want to fence the rest of the circuit.

Otherwise, why marry the event (30+WF) with the fundraiser?

[TBean]

Its an odd way to go about it I agee. Perhaps there is a specific fencer they are trying to support - a foilist who is a breast cancer survivor comes to mind. But to raise money you would want to be as inclusive as possible. However, they probably have thier reasons.

I would have considered, given the point is fundraising and to have the event be inclusive and fun, a team event of some sort. Maybe mixed weapon, ages and genders. That could have really drawn a big crowd to raise $$ and awareness.

[annacattiva]

Yeah, I was a little shocked by this as well. So... they don't want my money and participation because I'm not a 30+ women's foil fencer? Weird.

Anna

[TooLoftheDeviL]

There's already a thread in the tournaments section that had a similar question with a response from the organizer:

Fence Against Breast Cancer

[bbower]

It's clear from Mr. Tarascio's response that raising money for Strides Against Breast Cancer is not the primary goal of this competition.

[TooLoftheDeviL]

It's clear from Mr. Tarascio's response that raising money for Strides Against Breast Cancer is not the primary goal of this competition.

Maybe, maybe not. But it's safe to say that it's not the only goal.

[keith]

It's clear from Mr. Tarascio's response that raising money for Strides Against Breast Cancer is not the primary goal of this competition.

...so are you really putting up your hand and saying that entry to a fencing competition would be the only way a breast cancer charity could get money out of your wallet?

Or do you berate people who attempt to gain sponsorship monies in aid of a charity on the basis that they would have run the damn marathon anyway?

[Kristenilda]

...so are you really putting up your hand and saying that entry to a fencing competition would be the only way a breast cancer charity could get money out of your wallet?

Or do you berate people who attempt to gain sponsorship monies in aid of a charity on the basis that they would have run the damn marathon anyway?

What bbower concludes stems exactly from what Mr. Tarascio is emphasizing- that is, the main objective is to promote a "...unique forum for adult women, who have asked for a targeted competition that will provide a means for them to fence competitively, develop camaraderie with their peers, and to support the work of the American Cancer Society in its efforts to develop a cure for breast cancer."

However I still think it's ridiculous to exclude other fencers from this event. An overwhelming number of people from all demographics have been affected by breast cancer in one way or another. Let's build camaraderie about the issue that's all inclusive in the entire fencing community AND by allowing more participation = more money to support the research.

[keith]

However I still think it's ridiculous to exclude other fencers from this event. An overwhelming number of people from all demographics have been affected by breast cancer in one way or another. Let's build camaraderie about the issue that's all inclusive in the entire fencing community AND by allowing more participation = more money to support the research.

so you are saying that the only way you would donate money is in exchange for fencing???

and folk complain about the organizers motives.