Eight Charities Pull Their Galas Out of Trump’s Mar-A-Lago

The Salvation Army and American Cancer Society are among those that will no longer hold fundraisers on Trump property

President Trump Mar-a-lago
President Trump Mar-a-lago

UPDATE: 1:30 PM: On Saturday, the Preservation Society of Palm Beach added themselves to the list of charities pulling events out of the Mar-a-Lago country club, citing the property’s “current environment” in a statement posted on Facebook

In a week where Donald Trump’s business advisory councils were dissolved after several CEOs resigned and all 17 members of the White House Arts Committee quit in protest, the president is also faced with several major charities withdrawing their gala events from his Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach County, Florida.

According to the Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold, at least eight charities so far have pulled their fundraisers out from Trump property following the president’s remarks about the racist violence in Charlottesville last week.

These charities include the Salvation Army, American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen. Among those that are keeping their events at Mar-a-Lago are the Palm Beach Police Foundation, Gateway for Cancer Research and the Achilles Freedom Team, an organization that trains wounded veterans to take part in marathons.

For one group, pulling out their gala wasn’t the first time it faced public pressure to stand against Trump this week. The Cleveland Clinic, which refused to cancel its Mar-a-Lago fundraiser earlier this year, also had its CEO, Toby Cosgrove, on one of Trump’s disbanded business councils. A day after the council was dissolved, the Cleveland Clinic announced that “after careful consideration,” it would not return to Mar-a-Lago in 2018.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Trump’s loss is others’ gain, as several hotels in Palm Beach County have been contacted by the charities to serve as replacement hosts for the galas. Cleveland Clinic, for example, is in talks to host their fundraiser at the Eau Palm Beach Resort. The American Cancer Society is still looking for new sites for its 60th anniversary gala and a dinner for sponsors.

“Our values and commitment to diversity are critical as we work to address the impact of cancer in every community,” the American Cancer Society said in a statement. “It has become increasingly clear that the challenge to those values is outweighing other business considerations.”

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