Our Newest Op Ed

October 30, 2005 | Filed Under Uncategorized |

Walgreens: Let the (gay) games begin
- By Michael M. Bates

The Walgreen Company has given $100,000 to help sponsor the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago. Or, more officially, the Gay Games VII Sports and Cultural Festival, which is scheduled for next July.

Organizations unhappy with the company’s contribution include the Illinois Family Institute and the American Family Association. Both groups have urged members to contact the country’s biggest drugstore chain and voice their disapproval.

According to Walgreens spokesman Michael Polzin, with whom I spoke earlier this week, the groups’ constituents have done just that. He said that reaction from the general public, however, has been minimal.

Mr. Polzin also indicated that the health care company made its donation to “have a presence at the games.” He said they will have pharmacists available to provide information on HIV/AIDS. This is, he asserted, a continuation of the company’s efforts to educate the public on various medical concerns such as cancer and heart disease.

Walgreens gives millions of dollars a year to various charitable entities, he noted. And the company will not reconsider its Platinum-level sponsorship of the gay games………………..
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