Running head: NANCY BRINKER 1

Nancy Brinker
Daniela Dedvukaj
Siena Heights University
















NANCY BRINKER 2
Since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I only found it fitting to do some research on
the founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I wanted to know what motivated Nancy
Brinker to create this organization and how she got the idea. I have been to Susan G. Komen
events and wanted to get more background and details on the organization. Many of my friends
have relatives who have been affected by breast cancer and I hear about it more and more as time
goes on.
Nancy Goodman was born in December of 1946 and had an older sister, Susan Goodman,
who was three years older. These two girls were born in Peoria, Illinois and were inseparable.
Susan was that friendly, popular, girly girl who was always getting attention from boys. Nancy
was the opposite, she was a tomboy, a bit heavier, and was never really one to fit in. She was
referred to as Susan Goodmans younger sister and was okay with that because Nancy was her
best friend (Brinker, 2010). Nancy tells a story about the summer of 1952 and how it was
different from any other. Normally there were kids outside playing and enjoying the sun, but this
summer was different. The majority of places in town were closed. Polio was going around at
this time and the children were to basically quarantine themselves because of the contagious
disease and how rapidly it was spreading (Brinker, 2010).
Most people would just try avoiding the infected people, but not their mother. She taught
them that even the littlest things like making dessert for a bake sale could help raise money for a
cure. Television was created and so was awareness about the horrible illness and by the 1960s a
cure was found (Brinker, 2010). By the middle of the 1960s, less than a hundred cases of polio
were reported. The epidemic seemed to be washed away. Some people were hesitant to believe
that this was possible while others celebrated the idea.
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Nancy and Susans mother was always positive and ready to lend a helping hand. She
volunteered with charities and was just an all-around good person. She did things for people out
of the kindness of her heart. During the polio outbreak she would make baskets of goodies for
the sick kids, leave it on the porch, knock on the door and walk away. She never needed
recognition for what she did; she just made sure she did what was right.
Instead of dwelling on all the things you cant do, figure out what you can do. What you
will do. My mother used to say, If you have to ask what to do, get out of the kitchen. I bet you
girls could come up with something if you get your heads together (Brinker, 2010, p.5). Their
mother always told them that complaining would get them nowhere in life and told them they
should be good servants to the country. It did not take much for Susan to come up with the idea
of a variety show that all the children in the neighborhood could be a part of. Nancy sang and
Susan sold tickets to all the parents in the neighborhood. The show was a great success and the
kids made $50 to donate to the St. Francis Hospital (Brinker, 2010, p.8). Susan and Nancy were
held accountable at a young age to do their part to help out other people; little did they know that
this accountability would help them move mountains in life (Brinker, 2010).
After graduating, Nancy moved to Dallas, Texas while Susan went back home to Peoria.
In 1977 Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time, there was a stigma and shame
around breast cancer. You didnt talk about it. There were no 800-numbers, no Internet. Our
government didnt spend much on breast cancer research. There were few major cancer centers
with expertise about breast cancer. Thats the world we faced when Suzy was diagnosed. Its a
world I watched her suffer in, and its a world she wanted us to change, Brinker said (Power,
2010). Susan had to go through a lot of pain and distress to fight off the cancer for as long as
possible. Before her three years ran out, Susan asked Nancy to promise that she would speak up
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about breast cancer, raise money for research, and put an end to it (Brinker, 2010). Nancy
promised to do what her sister asked.
Thankfully for Susan and Nancy, First Lady, Betty Ford was gutsy enough to open up to
the public about her struggle against breast cancer in 1974. Betty Ford was Susans role model,
she gave her hope (Khan, 2011). Sadly, Susans cancer was so bad that it spread to her organs
and she could no longer fight the disease, she passed away in 1980. Nancy had a very hard time
with her sisters death and was raising a son from her first marriage. Nothing seemed to be easy
at that point in time.
With the help of Norman Brinker, Nancys second husband, and Stanley Marcus, her
former boss at Neiman Marcus, she learned a lot about the business world which would help her
make a difference in the world. Norman was the creator of many new restaurant ideas, including
the salad bar concept (Shinn). Nancy learned many things from watching Norman run his
business. He taught her to be an inspirational leader who can motivate people. He went above
and beyond the idea of having employees and being a boss. Norman wanted employees to feel
empowered and create a team that strived to be successful. Norman was the initial provider of
financial support and contacted many others for additional help (Racing, 2011). Stanley
Marcus showed her how to create an experience for the customer and tell a story (Racing,
2011). Nancys father was also a big influence in Nancys life. He was a hard worker and always
said, Most people fail not because they have a bad idea, but because they quit (Racing,
2011).
With nothing but family support behind her, Nancy told her story and started the Susan
G. Komen Cancer Foundation in 1982 (White House, 2009). She was sitting in her living
room, in Dallas, with a whole lot of determination and heart ready to fulfill her promise to her
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beloved sister. It was a bumpy ride seeing as though newspapers did not even want to use the
words breast and cancer together in their articles (Power, 2010). Nancy would not take no for
an answer and persevered through it all. Nothing was going to stop this woman from keeping her
promise.
In 1983, Nancy Brinker founded the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was a run
around a Dallas shopping mall with around 800 people in attendance. An originally local race
turned into a national series of over 120 races with more than 1.5 million runners (Power,
2010) She created the first organized sporting event where people from all walks of life could
gather in an unthreatening environment to discuss something very serious. She encouraged
participants to bring breast cancer out of the closet, acknowledge that theyve been personally
touched by it, remember those theyve lost, but most important, celebrate those who have
survived (Her word, 2007). Nancy created a support system to help people get through the
tough times. Betty Ford made an annual appearance to the big fundraiser to show support and
create awareness (Khan, 2011). It was all starting to come together, but in 1984 Nancy was
diagnosed with breast cancer (Brinker, 2010). This diagnosis only pushed her further toward her
goal. Nancy was strong enough to beat the cancer and continue to create and build the worlds
largest breast cancer organization today.
Through the use of cause-related marketing, Nancy tells the story of millions of men and
women who have been affected by breast cancer. The pink ribbon is so powerful because it
reminds donors of a human face-a mother, sister, or daughter lost to cancer (Shinn). The iconic
pink ribbon created in the 1980s is now a world-wide symbol of the fight against breast cancer
(Power, 2010). Almost 300 national and global companies sponsor the organization (White
House, 2009). Cause-related marketing works in a couple ways according to Nancy Brinker.
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The brand uses the breast cancer ribbon logo and either a percentage of the purchase price is
donated or a certain amount is donated for a set period. Corporations also give larger grants from
corporate funds separate from the other money (Racing, 2011).
The organization did a great job of raising funds for research by informing the world
and building support and still continues to do so. In 1982, the government used 30 million dollars
each year for breast cancer research, treatment, and prevention. Now, the federal government
allocates over 850 million dollars each year to breast cancer research, treatment, and prevention
(Susan G., 2013). There are many people that deserve thanks for this magnificent progress,
especially Nancy Brinker for making her sisters dream a reality. To date, virtually every major
advance in breast cancer research has been touched by hundreds of millions of dollars in Komen
for the Cure funding (Power, 2010, p.1).
Nancy Brinker did not just stop at the national level she wanted to reach out to the global
community. In 2001, she became the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and was in charge of helping
the country raise breast cancer awareness (White House, 2009). A year before she became
Ambassador Nancy Brinker she and Norman divorced. This marriage lasted almost 20 years, but
went sour after a couple years after Norman was involved in a serious polo accident. Even after
the divorce, Norman continued to be an active board member in the organization and offered his
advice. Nancy gives credit to Norman for the guidance and strategy he put into Susan G. Komen
for the Cure (Stahl, 2010).
She has received many awards for the work that she has done to improve the lives of
those affected by breast cancer. The Lasker Foundation, Trumpet Foundation, Independent
Womens Forum, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, University of Phoenix Graduate
School of Public Health, and Forbes are just some organizations that have recognized Nancys
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success. She was named to Ladies Home Journals 100 Most Important Women of the 20
th

Century as well as one of Biography Magazines 25 Most Powerful Women in America
(Power, 2010). In 2009, President Barrack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal
of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor. Later in 2009, Nancy was named the Goodwill
Ambassador for Cancer Control for the United Nations World Health Organization, just another
chance for her to emphasize the importance of cancer control at a top level (Power, 2010).
Nancy Brinker is considered the leader of the global breast cancer movement. Currently,
there are 3 million breast cancer survivors, the largest group of cancer survivors in the U.S
(Susan G., 2013). Who knows what these numbers would be like if Nancy Brinker did not take
the initiative, over 30 years ago, to speak up about something that was kept private for so long.
Since Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded, the 5-year relative survival rate for those
diagnosed with breast cancer has gone up from 74% in 1980, to 98% today (Her word, 2007).
The numbers themselves can be used as a measure of success for the organization. Susan G.
Komen for the Cure, as the name was changed in 2007, has invested almost two billion dollars to
end breast cancer in the U.S. and the rest of the world through research, community health
outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 50 countries (Susan G., 2013). In 2010, 75
million dollars was spent on research, half of the mission funds were spent on education, and the
rest was spent on screening and treatment programs (Racing, 2011).
The information in the previous pages is a testimony as to why Nancy Brinker is a great
leader. Her accomplishments alone show the type of go-getter mentality she has. She took a
tragic event in her life and used it as motivation to better the world and create awareness for
breast cancer. She is able to share her sisters story everyday with people who are going through
the same pain and discomfort. I give her so much credit for the work she put in to make the
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organization what it is today and admire her ability to get others involved. Nancy knows she
could not complete her sisters request without help from family, friends, businesses, volunteers,
etc.
What I find to be most amazing is the support and fundraising that has created Susan G.
Komen for the Cure. Nowadays every person knows what a pink ribbon stands for; Nancy was
able to produce that breast cancer awareness. At the 2010 American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association Convention, Nancy Brinker used the phrase the power of one in the opening
session. The power of one is the ability of every individual to make a difference in his or her
community, company, country, and the world (Power, 2010). This message stuck out to me
more than anything else I read because of how strongly Nancy believes in humanity. I thought of
the results on my Strengths Finder test and remembered that belief was one of my strengths. I
think Nancy is the perfect example of a great believer and leader.
After reading up on Nancy Brinker I really feel like I am meant to do bigger things in life
than I originally thought. In my mind, Nancys passion and determination is what sets her apart
from other leaders. If I can embody that same determination and passion in my own life I know I
will be able to do great things. Nancy had to take many risks to get to where she is today, some
worked and some did not. Sometimes you have to allow people to fail. People dont always
learn from success, but from failure. (Shinn) I will keep these words in the back of my mind and
remember that it is okay to step out of my comfort zone; something good could come out of it.



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References
Brinker, N. (Interviewee). (2011). Racing for the Cure. [Interview Transcript]. Retrieved from
The Philanthropy Roundtable Web site:
http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/topic/excellence_in_philanthropy/racing_for_the
_cure
Brinker, N & Rogers, J. (2010). Promise Me. Retrieved from
http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/Content_Binaries/Promise_Me_Excerpt.pdf
(2007). Keeping her word; Brinker's breast cancer foundation started 25 years ago with a sisterly
promise. Modern Healthcare. Abstract received from Health & Awareness Resource
Center database.
Khan, Naureen. (2011, July 13). Carrying on Betty Fords Legacy.Nationaljournal.com. From
General OneFile.
Shinn, Laura. From the Corner Office: Nancy Brinker. Success Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.success.com/article/from-the-corner-office-nancy-brinker
Stahl, Lori. (2010, September 12). Nancy Brinkers life is a promise in pink and a force against
breast cancer. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20100911-Nancy-Brinker-s-life-is-a-
7666.ece
(2013). Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Retrieved from
http://ww5.komen.org/AboutUs/AboutUs.html
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(2010, August 3). The Power of One. The ASHA Leader. Retrieved from
http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2010/100803/Convention-Speakers.htm
(2009, August 3). White House to Honor Susan G. Komen for the Cure Founder Nancy Brinker.
High Beam Research. Retrieved from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-
204952614.html