Cyber Attack Strips Cancer Fighting Charities Across the US of Crucial Fundraising Dollars
22 Oktober 2016 - 01:44AM
Business Wire
Internet Assault Halts Nearly $100,000
in Donations Distributed to Cancer
Related Organizations Through National Be Bold, Be
Bald Day
A cyber assault that affected such powerhouse businesses as
Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and Twitter, has also provided a
massive blow to a number of cancer charities throughout the
United States that benefit from a national fundraising
movement called Be Bold, Be Bald! Founded in 2009 by Jeff
Freedman, owner of Boston based agency Small
Army, Be Bold, Be Bald! is a social movement of
thousands coast to coast who wear bald caps for 24 hours
to stand in solidarity with individuals facing cancer,
and raise awareness and funds to fight the deadly
disease. To date, Be Bold, Be Bald! has raised over
$1 million and distributed it to deserving organizations
dedicated to fighting cancer or improving the quality of life
for those undergoing treatments. Due to the nature of the attack,
the Be Bold, Be Bald! website was unable to connect
to PayPal to process donations for most of the day.
"Through Be Bold, Be Bald!, we raise anywhere from
$50,000 to $100,000 for cancer on this day every year," says
Freedman. "We've lost precious time and crucial funds," he
adds. The blow is more than just business for Freedman, who started
the movement after the devastating loss of his friend and
business partner to cancer; it's personal.
As of 5 pm this evening, the attack seems to be resolved, and
the donation system is back up and running. However, the damage
caused a serious gap in Be Bold, Be Bald fundraising - hurting a
number of smaller organizations that rely on that money to help
others. "This is a heartbreaking loss that affects so many people -
from the participants wearing the caps and raising money,
to the organizations that benefit from donations, to the people
behind the scenes that make this whole day possible." Freedman, his
team, and the thousands upon thousands of Be Bold, Be Bald
supporters are refusing to let the outage stop them from their
mission. "Hackers can't stop us. We're going to stand to
together and work harder over the next few months to raise
even more awareness and funds for the fight against cancer," vows
Freedman. "The hackers may be able to stop the internet, but they
won't stop us."
For more information or to support the Be Bold, Be Bald
movement visit www.beboldbebald.org.
About Be Bold, Be Bald!
Started in 2009 Be Bold, Be Bald! is a social movement
of individuals, businesses, and celebrities willing to wear bald
caps from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep to
help raise awareness and funds for cancer fighting charities coast
to coast. Though slightly controversial in nature, the Be
Bold, Be Bald! movement has raised over $1 million for various
organizations all over the country, with participation from
such famous faces as Peter Wolf, Kathy Bates, Joan Lunden, Julien
Edelman, Jessica Szohr and many more.
Be Bold, Be Bald! was created by Freedman, owner of Boston-based
advertising agency Small Army, and his team of talented
employees. In 2007, the Small Army family was hit with a
tragic blow when co-founder and Creative Principal Mike Connell
lost his battle with cancer. Faced with their grief and
concern for the future of the agency, the Small Army team channeled
Mike's passion to keep their business alive, and dedicated
themselves to giving back to those touched by cancer. In Mike's
honor, they started Small Army For A Cause, a 501c3 that raises and
distributes funds to a beneficiary network of cancer-related
charities. "Witnessing Mike's heroic, two-year fight, we saw
firsthand the courage and strength cancer patients have," says
Freedman. "He inspired us to continue that fight ourselves - and to
do so in a way that would truly represent the boldness of Mike and
his ideas.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161021005971/en/
Ring CommunicationsKimberley Ring,
617-957-9232kim@ring-communications.com