Free bracelets for cancer research and Merck donations-Truth!

The Merck Pharmaceutical Company is Donating Money for Cervical Cancer Research in Connection With the Distribution of Free Bracelet Kits-Truth!

  Summary of eRumor:
The message encourages you to go to a website where a free bracelet kit can be ordered and for each one that is ordered Merck Pharmaceuticals will donate a dollar to research of cervical cancer.

The Truth:

The campaign is real although the facts are slightly different.

The website www.maketheconnection.org is home for a project promoting of awareness of cervical cancer, “the preventable cancer.”  It is a cancer with a known cause: human papillomavirus.

As part of the project, a series of events was planned around the U.S. featuring actors Beverley Mitchell, JoAnna Garcia, and America Ferrera.  They extended the invitation to come help “design bracelets that support cervical cancer awareness.”  You can order the free bracelet kits on the website.  Each order includes two kits and for every two orders made the Merck company has pledged to donate $1 up to a maximum of $100,000 for cervical cancer research.

Updated 6/23/06