The Green Bay Packers Foundation (GBPF) is now defending its donations to the abortion conglomerate Planned Parenthood in the face of criticism from conservative groups.
Earlier this week, LifeNews reported that the GBPF annual grant fund recipients list included Planned Parenthood among its 192 grantees — Planned Parenthood Of Wisconsin Inc., Milwaukee, to be exact. The news did not sit well with the foundation’s pro-life supporters.
Dan Miller, executive director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, said his organization opposes money going to the abortion giant “ever, at any time.”
“(The Packers) have stood for wonderful things, but this is not something that’s wonderful. Planned Parenthood is an abortion provider,” Miller said on Wednesday. “We’re outraged. We’d like an explanation. Whatever dollar amount they gave to Planned Parenthood, why would you possibly alienate half of your fan base?”
According to the Herald Times Reporter, a representative for the famed football franchise defended the donation, arguing it was for a specific program called Cuidándonos Creceremos más Sanos (CCmáS), which reaches out to “Latino families in southeastern Wisconsin, an underserved population, with language- and culturally-specific health education they would not normally receive.”
Aaron Popkey, Packers director of public affairs, said the organization understands certain objections to the donation while maintaining it was never meant as an endorsement of Planned Parenthood’s business.
“The Packers and the foundation certainly understand there are individuals who disagree with some aspect of one or more of the 2,800 organizations that have been supported since 1986,” said Popkey. “The organization respects those views. Grant applications are considered specific to their initiatives and do not necessarily imply endorsement of other actions by the organizations.”
Tanya Atkinson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, touted the program’s benefits for the Latino community.
“This is an innovative Spanish-language education program that empowers people to take charge of their health,” said Atkinson. “The Medical College of Wisconsin is predicting cancer rates among Hispanic women will double in the next 10 years. Programs like CCmáS serve as a critical connector between patients and the health care they need.”
As noted by LifeNews, the foundation was established in 1986 by Judge Robert J. Parins with a mission to “support charities possessing one or more of the following goals: perpetuates a community environment that promotes families and the competitive value of athletics; contributes to player and fan welfare; ensures the safety and education of children; and/or prevents cruelty to animals.” Donations to a business that inarguably profits off abortions does not seem to fit under that rubric. Here are just some statistics that LifeNews provided:
Its 2018 annual report, released this week, shows it aborted 332,757 unborn babies and reaped in a record $1.66 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood provided less contraception, sterilizations, cancer screenings, adoption referrals and other women’s health services than the previous year.
Planned Parenthood aborted more unborn babies in 2018 than it did in the past five years. According to its report, it performed a total of 332,757 abortions — 11,373 more than the previous year. According to Students for Life’s analysis, abortions increased more than 3 percent while adoption referrals dropped by more than 25 percent. Planned Parenthood did one adoption referral for every 117 abortions.
Planned Parenthood’s provision of contraception decreased by 80,000, cancer screenings by 45,000, and other “women’s health services” such as well-woman exams and prenatal services decreased by 13,000.
Pro-Life Wisconsin told LifeNews that any donation to Planned Parenthood, regardless of the reasoning, supports the organization’s total business.
“If the foundation truly wanted to promote families and ensure the safety of children, they would not be financially investing in an organization that violently destroys children’s lives each and every day,” the organization said. “Any perceived benefit Planned Parenthood provides to society is wiped out every time they kill a baby, which in their case is 4,639 times a year in Wisconsin alone. In just one day, they wipe out the approximate equivalent of an entire football team.”