OPI's LUNG CANCER BREATHE LIFE CAMPAIGN

Thanks to everybody who is on this site and PLEASE pass the WORD on the OPI Breathe Life Campaign!

I am a co-Founder of the Lung Cancer Foundation of America. We were able to tell the Founder of OPI, Susie Fischmann about the inequalities in funding for Lung Cancer and she committed to helping us with the campaign. A couple of things I wanted to share.

1) OPI made an initial donation to LCFA and is helping with the AWARENESS about Lung Cancer. We do not receive profits from the sales of the nail polish bottles; Although I support trying to buy the product to let OPI know you appreciate what they are doing. Let me explain more.

2) The OPI National Campaign BREATHE LIFE is priceless and the very first corporate endorsement for lung cancer. Every step begins with a first and we are hopeful others will follow.

3) IF we want other corporations to follow OPI's lead we have to support the OPI efforts by buying the product and letting them KNOW what it means to the LC Community. They need to see that what they do makes a difference.

I looked at the membership on this site... it's over 4,000 and if we could get everybody to send an email to OPI and buy a bottle of BREATHE LIFE it would send a great message back to OPI and other businesses that may be watching to see how receptive the lung cancer community is. We have a unique and wonderful opportunity to start a lung cancer movement.... ARE WE READY FOR THIS??
Let's motivate an army! Write OPI today and tell them a BIG THANK YOU. PLEASE contact others, and ask everybody that is on this site to do so too.... and everybody in your address book. We have one opportunity here to start a true movement! Let's Roll!

By Marie400
Posted March 22, 2009 at 11:04 am
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What's wrong with repeating the message - isn't the point to reach many so we might actually have a chance to raise money and recognition for cancer's most deadly disease?

Please post the email address so those who would like to send a message can. And thanks for taking the time to explain how this came about.

By susiebunny
Posted March 22, 2009 at 12:00 pm
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Wow. This sounds fantastic. I have been off site for awhile and so am not caught up. My husband has been selected to be 1 of 50 nationwide participants of this year's Lung Cancer Advocacy Summit, and I'll make sure he is aware of OPI. (personally, I won't purchase OPI nail polish - as tempting as their colors are - because their ingredients are toxic and carcinogenic. I buy only the "safer" products, though not as pretty as OPI) Thank you for sharing this fantastic information!

By Lori1028
Posted March 22, 2009 at 12:48 pm
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Thank you for your respons. I'm sorry I didn't explain enough and didn't include the websites or email addresses. Also, I posted in as many different catorgories as I thought might have people interested in getting involved.

OPI is a high-end nail polish company based in LA. It is only sold in salons and it's sold world wide. The Co-Founder is Susie Fischmann, she has a friend who has lung cancer and had opportunity to learn about the diasadvantages lung cancer has due to lack of funding and the negative stigma surrounding this disease through our Foundation... LCFA.

After learning about the lack of public support, she agreed to help out. She said 10 or 15 years ago she did a breast cancer nail polish and afterward had multiple requests to do the same for many other cancers and diseases, however she said if she did it for everybody it would lose it's effectiveness. However, she was moved to want to do this for lung cancer. The lung cancer story sold itself to OPI. I think if given the opportunity, lung cancer will sell itself to other companies. This opportunity can open the door to other corporations.-- believe me, companies watch what others are promoting.

In APRIL 2009, her website will post the BREATHE LIFE campaign, with a link about lung cancer.They will have a link to our Foundation and post a video talking about the disparities with lung cancer and lack of research funding. The OPI company is doing all the advertising in leading women's magazines (LHJ, MORE, Vogue, etc) as well as the nail polish professional magazines--world wide.

Our Foundation does not financially benefit; HOWEVER the real advantage is priceless... educating the public about lung cancer disparities, getting private corporations involved in lung cancer and increasing awareness and opening doors to other opportunties.

However, we feel it's important to let OPI KNOW-- in a big way, that we appreciate what they are doing for the lung cancer community. That is why I reached out to this group. Mostly, I just read along, I don't comment or speak out on this site. BUT, I know of the passion and power on this site and it's endless!!

Please let OPI know that this campaign is amazing and how lung cancer has impacted YOU! The comment of somebody being moved to tears is so inspiring and I copied it and sent it on to Susie... that gave me the idea of reaching out and asking others to do the same.

The website is WWW.OPI.com I will find how to send emails to the company and get back to this group.

Again, thanks for your response!

By Lori1028
Posted March 22, 2009 at 12:56 pm
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Ok... this is off her website... and her bio.

OPI PRODUCTS INC.
13034 Saticoy Street
N. Hollywood, CA 91605
TEL:818.759.2400 in CA
800.341.9999

Contact
Website: http://www.opi.com

Biography
Suzi Weiss-Fischmann is the Executive VP & Artistic Director of OPI Products Inc., the world leader in professional nail care. Suzi is known as the First Lady of Nails, because she single-handedly creates every OPI Nail Lacquer shade based on each season’s fashion and beauty forecasts. Suzi knows the trends because she sets the trends. Her passion for fashion and instinct for color are part of what make her style sense so special – and on this blog she shares tips for fashion, beauty, wellness and more!

By chuck
Posted March 22, 2009 at 1:45 pm
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Lori1028, I didn't notice in your discussion how much went to the Foundation or percentage to OPI. I can't help but to share my personal opinion, ( respectfully). A lot of the people on this LCA site aren't living on the high-end of life. Simply because the costs to treat this disease usually deplete's most savings, bank account's, homes,etc. I personally believe that if 4,000 member's on this site would just send a letter to their State rep. and Congresspeople, it would make a greater impact for Lung Cancer Alliance and awareness rather than buy a High End bottle of nail polish. Did you know that a lot of Cancer patient's lose their nails? Where in the world would they put the polish? But, this is just an old man's opinion. My wife said hell no, she loves the low-end polish from Long's drug store. Has your friend tried To get funding from the people in Hollywood or New York, or Miami?? Sincerely c. darnell

By frenchy
Posted March 22, 2009 at 2:41 pm
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I think it is a great start and have already sent my thank you to the company. The fact that they are willing to bring awareness to the public is wonderful, some of us have certainly tried on our own with no help so the fact that a corp is willing to put the ads in for us is an accomplishment and may lead to bigger and better things.

By Lori1028
Posted March 22, 2009 at 3:14 pm
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Thank you for your comments and I do appreciate your points. I had trouble-- lots of trouble with my nails during chemo-- And I do understand limited budgets due to this disease. I am now a single mother of two girls- divorced during chemo after 19 years of marriage- and I've had very costly major surgerys, chemo, clinical trials being left with the inability to work full time and lots of pain and fatigue. I do 'get' that.

However, this is an awareness campaign- and that the ability to lung cancer in the spotlight is priceless. I'm not asking for donations or anybody to even buy the polish--just send a letter to OPI thanking them to standing up to the plate by highlighting lung cancer and publicly stating the facts about lung cancer. We need MORE of that.

Think of the advantages breast cancer has been able to claim due to the social sympthany and awareness private companies bring about surrounding breast cancer issues. And given the public support, they have been able to leverage for more government funding.

There isn't a disadvantage to the campaign on any level. The only investment one would have to make to participate is the cost of 15 minutes of your time to write a thank you note, the cost of a postage stamp if sent by snail mail or not even that by email!

Thank you for your comments!

By jmichelle
Posted March 22, 2009 at 3:15 pm
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Seriously?? I say repeat as many times a necessary!

Looks like Lori saw my post and felt there was important information that she could add to the discussion... she just happened to start a new topic headline. Anything that can be done do get the word out there bears repeating in my humble opinion.

By kimb
Posted March 22, 2009 at 7:09 pm
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Lori,
Than you so much for the information! I am given new hope whenever someone sponsors Lung Cancer and I have contacted OPI to thank them!

By Judiepru
Posted March 22, 2009 at 9:07 pm
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I hope the OPI lady will work on removing the carcinogenic agents from their product. It is only a matter of time before the cancers start evidencing themselves in the bodies of those who are exposed to these chemicals 12 or more hours a day, sometimes seven days a week for decades!!
Lung cancer may well be the first one!!
Judie

By brooklynda
Posted March 22, 2009 at 9:29 pm
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Lori: Many thanks for posting the address. I gladly sent along an e-mail. I'm grateful to anyone who would give any amount of publicity to the need for research funding for lung cancer. I hope it is the beginning of awareness for other companies to add their support as well. Thanks! Blessings! Brooklynda

By Nitatx
Posted March 23, 2009 at 9:27 am
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Go to the site....OPI all new OPI Lacquers are Toluene, DBP and Formaldehyde free! My daughters even use this. It appears a lot that posted were not aware of this.

By jgaynor711
Posted March 23, 2009 at 9:47 am
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Wow. I'm really shocked at how many negative comments I've read in response to what is the FIRST time a major company international has endorsed a product for lung cancer awareness.

Everyone complains about the "sea of pink" that we all see in grocery stores, drugstores, EVERYWHERE in terms of breast cancer, and now - there's a major international cosmetics company that has put it's name, money and support behind a product designed to bring awareness to lung cancer, and so many people on this site find fault with it?

That's pretty discouraging.

THANK YOU, Lori and the Lung Cancer Foundation of America for taking a step towards getting some attention brought to our cause in a different way - in the same kind of way that breast cancer advocacy groups have managed to do with their "pinkification" of anything and everything.

It's small steps like this that could help change the perception of lung cancer as a dirty smoker's disease. It affects men and women - beautiful people like our mothers, sisters and daughters- just like breast cancer.

Thank you, again. I will buy a bottle of this polish- but if I couldn't afford it, I would email people I know who might be interested and who can afford it - and I would certainly send an email thanking this multi-national company for supporting lung cancer. It's free, and takes just a few minutes. I don't think that's asking too much of us.

By amymaura
Posted March 23, 2009 at 12:00 pm
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I think it's a really great step to email the company and thank them for their efforts at awareness, even if you don't plan on purchasing the product. A few people have rightly pointed out that if we want more companies to support us (and we do!!!), we have to give them the feedback to indicate that we are paying attention and appreciate what they are doing.

Amy
LCA

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