Cancer Chain Letters (aka 3/6/32/?? cents for American Cancer Society)

Classification		Status
Hoax		True
Urban Legend		False
Chain Mail		Unknown
Joke/Spoof		Aliases
Scam		Related to
"Dim bulb" Rating (Click here for details)

These are a selection of the widespread chain letters that claim to be either for cancer patients or for the benefit of the American Cancer Society. There are many different versions of this chain letter. These messages are all hoaxes and none of them are endorsed by the cancer research organisations. Do not pass them on. The most common version mentions the e-mail address: ACS@AOL.COM This e-mail address does not exist.

Here's a glossed up version that appeared in April 2002:

Here's a variant that appeared in January 2001 (another version claims that Rachel is now 10 months old!)

Subject:IF YOU DELETE THIS YOU SERIOUSLY DON'T HAVE A HEART!!!!!!!!!!!

HI I AM A 29 YEAR OLD FATHER. ME AND MY WIFE HAVE HAD A

WONDERFUL LIFE TOGETHER. GOD BLESSED US WITH A CHILD

TOO. OUR DAUGHTER'S NAME IS RACHEL, AND SHE IS 10

YEARS OLD. NOT LONG AGO DID THE DOCTORS DETECT BRAIN

CANCER IN HER LITTLE BODY. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO

SAVE HER......AN OPERATION, SADLY, WE DONT HAVE ENOUGH

MONEY TO PAY THE PRICE. AOL AND ZDNET HAVE AGREED TO

HELP US. THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN HELP US IS THIS WAY, I

SEND THIS EMAIL TO YOU AND YOU SEND IT TO OTHER PEOPLE

AOL WILL TRACK THIS EMAIL AND COUNT HOW MANY PEOPLE

GET IT. EVERY PERSON THAT OPENS THIS EMAIL AND SENDS IT

TO AT LEAST 3 PEOPLE WILL GIVE US 32 CENTS. PLEASE

HELP US.

GEORGE ARLINGTON

Here is one of the most common versions of this chain letter:

Please forward this message to EVERYONE you know. The American

Cancer Society gets 3 cents every time this message is

forwarded. Please make sure that you cc: American Cancer

Society...(ACS@AOL.COM)

Here is another version:

Subject: This is not a chain! It could save a little girls
life!

o.k. you guys..... this isn't a chain letter, but a choice for
all of us to save a little girl that's dieing of a serious and
fatal form of cancer. please send this to everyone you
know...or don't know at that. this little girl has 6 months
left to live her life, and as her dieing wish, she wanted to
send a chain letter telling everyone to live their life to
fullest, since she never will. she'll never make it to prom,
graduate from high school, of get married and have a family of
her own. but by you sending this to as many people as
possible, you can give her and her family a little hope,
because with every name that this is semnt to, the american
cancer society will donate 3 cents per name to her treatment
and recovery plan. one guy sent this th 500 people !!!! so, i
know that we can send it to at least 5 or 6. come on you
guys.... and if you're too damn selfish to waste 10-15 minutes
and scrolling this and forwarding it to EVERYONE, than one:
you're one sick bastard, and two: just think it could be you
one day....and it's not even your $money$, just your time. i
know that ya'll will impress me !!!! i love ya'll !!!!! peace-

Sarah "X"

Another version:

Please forward this message to EVERYONE you know. The American

Cancer Society gets 3 cents every time this message is

forwarded. Please make sure that you cc: American Cancer

Society...(ACS@AOL.COM)

Yet another version:

LITTLE JESSICA MYDEK IS SEVEN YEARS OLD AND IS SUFFERING FROM

AN ACUTE AND VERY RARE CASE OF CEREBRAL CARCINOMA. THIS

CONDITION CAUSES SEVERE MALIGNANT BRAIN TUMORS AND IS A

TERMINAL ILLNESS. THE DOCTORS HAVE GIVEN HER SIX MONTHS TO

LIVE.

AS PART OF HER DYING WISH, SHE WANTED TO START A CHAIN LETTER

TO INFORM PEOPLE OF THIS CONDITION AND TO SEND PEOPLE THE

MESSAGE TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST AND ENJOY EVERY MOMENT, A

CHANCE THAT SHE WILL NEVER HAVE. FURTHERMORE, THE AMERICAN

CANCER SOCIETY AND SEVERAL CORPORATE SPONSORS HAVE AGREED TO

DONATE THREE CENTS TOWARD CONTINUING CANCER RESEARCH FOR EVERY

NEW PERSON THAT GETS FORWARDED THIS MESSAGE. PLEASE GIVE

JESSICA AND ALL CANCER VICTIMS A CHANCE. IF THERE ARE ANY

QUESTIONS, SEND THEM TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AT

ACS@AOL.COM

And here is one of the most recent versions:

Just read the poem - it's beautiful!!

BE SURE YOU READ THE END OF THIS MESSAGE

S L O W D A N C E:

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round

Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down Don't dance so fast

Time is short The music won't last

Do you run through each day on the fly

When you ask "How are you?" do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast

Time is short The music won't last

Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow

And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die

'Cause you never had time to call and say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast

Time is short The music won't last

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away..

Life is not a race. Do take it slower

Hear the music Before the song is over.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO HELP THIS LITTLE GIRL

Dear All,

I just received this mail from a friend of mine in my College.

Please respond to it. It will mean employing a little bit of

time and won't cost you a penny. All it needs is the heart for

you to send this mail. PLEASE pass this mail on to everybody you

know. It is the request of a little girl who will soon leave

this world as she has been a victim of the terrible disease

called CANCER.

Thank you for your effort, this isn't a chain letter,but a

choice for all of us to save a little girl that's dying of a

serious and fatal form of cancer.

Please send this to everyone you know...or don't know. This

little girl has 6 months left to live, and her dying wish, she

wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their life to

the fullest, since she never will. She'll never make it to the

prom, graduate from high school, or get married and have a

family of her own.

By you sending this to as many people as possible, you can give

her and her family a little hope, because with every name that

this is sent to, The American Cancer Society will donate 3 cents

per name to her treatment and recovery plan. One guy sent this

to 500 people!!!!

So,I know that we can send it to at least 5 or 6. Come on you

guys.... and if you're too selfish to take 10-15 minutes

scrolling this and forwarding it to EVERYONE, then you are one

sick person.

Just think it could be you one day. It's not even your money,

just your time!!!

PLEASE PASS ON

Dr. Dennis Shields

Professor

Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

1300 Morris Park Avenue

Bronx, New York 10461

Phone 718-430-3306

Here's a version that appeared in October 1999:

Subject: For the little girl! :( This is sad and if you don't

send youare Rude)

Hi, my name is Amy Bruce.I am 7 years old, and I have severe

lung cancer from second hand smoke. I also have a large tumor in

my brain, from repeated beatings The doctors say I will die soon

if this isn't fixed, and my family can't pay the bills. The Make

A Wish Foundation, has agreed to donate 7 cents for every name

on this list. For those of you who send this along, I thank you

so much, but for those who don't send it, what goes around comes

around. Have a Heart, please send this.

Here's another version appeared in 2000:

PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS MESSAGE...(surprise ending)

Have you ever-watched kids on a merry-go-round,

or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,

or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down,

don't dance so fast,

time is short,

the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?

When you ask, "How are you?"

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,

do you lie in your bed,

with the next hundred chores,

running through your head?

You'd better slow down,

don't dance so fast,

time is short,

the music won't last.

Ever told your child,

we'll do it tomorrow,

and in your haste,

not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

let a good friendship die,

'cause you never had time,

to call and say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down,

don't dance so fast,

time is short,

the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,

you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift...thrown away...

Life is not a race,

Do take it slower.

Hear the music,

before the song is over.

Please forward this to help a little girl who is dying from

cancer and has 6 months left to live. As her dying, wish, she

wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their life to

the fullest, since she never will.

She'll never make it to prom, graduate from high school, or get

married and have a family of her own.

By you sending this to as many people as possible, you can give

her and her family a little hope, because with every name that

this is sent to, The American Cancer Society will donate 3 cents

per name to her treatment and recovery plan.

One guy sent this to 500 people!!! So, I know that we can send

it to at least 5 or 6. Come on you guys...and if you're too

selfish to take 10-15 minutes scrolling this and forwarding it

to EVERYONE. Just think it could be you one day. It's not even

your money, just your time!!!

Carol A. Hathorne, Principal

Sugg Middle School, Rt. 196

Lisbon Falls, ME 04252

207-353-3055

Please ignore all versions and other variants of these chain mails/hoaxes and PLEASE don't spread them any further.
For more information, check the America Cancer Society web site http://www.cancer.org/chain.html.

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