BOGO*, An Interesting Way to Support Adult Stem Cell Research

*Buy 1 Give 1

Do you enjoy a good Italiano table wine? Do you oppose embryonic stem cell research? Are you angry that many groups support embryonic stem cell research which has had no success in over 20 yrs of research while refusing to support adult stem cell research, WHICH HAS HAD SUCCESSFUL RESULTS? Would you like to help support adult stem cell research?

Well, have I got a deal for you! With an order from BOGO you can help support adult stem cell research, help educate a friend about adult stem cell research & have a good inexpensive Italiano wine with your meal. & do it for only $29.45?

What is BOGO & why are they making this offer?

BOGO is the brainchild of Bill Schneeberger. Mr. Schneeberger is an old hand at the wine distribution business & a man who is serious about his Catholic faith. As such his is pro-life. As he was involved in the wine business he became aware of cause-marketing in the form of the pink ribbon breast cancer awareness labels. Knowing a good idea when he saw one, he decided to get into it himself. In his own words: "I read Life is a Blessing, A Biography of Jerome Lejeune. Lejeune was a highly regarded geneticist who discovered the causes of symptoms such as Down’s Syndrome. He was a brilliant man and 100% pro-life. It was this book on Dr. Lejeune, my strong faith, and my love for the unborn, God’s tiniest children, that led me to join “Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics” ( http://www.stemcellresearch.org/.) When I realized that no one was really going to bat for these tiny frozen embryos that would be used for Embryonic Stem Cell Research, I was convinced I needed to commit my project to supporting Adult Stem Cell Research and working for a culture of life."

Shortly thereafter he met Stefano Sgarzi at a food & wine show in New York City. He was the owner of Cantine Sgarzi Luigi S.R.L., an Italian winery Mr. Schneeberger considers world-class. Meeting another man with a faith as strong as his own, he knew he found the perfect supplier for the wine he sought to market: "With three generations of family wine making behind him, he could guarantee style, quality and integrity. In short, it was a perfect fit"

The twin pack idea came about as a way to easily explain the issue. As he explains: " I designed BOGO Wines™ to be sold only in an engaging, colorful twin pack that describes the quality of the wines, recommended food pairings and according to Dr. Jack Wilkie of the Life Issues Institute, “explains simply and succinctly the benefits of Adult Stem Cell Research.” The idea is that you will drink one bottle of BOGO and share the other bottle in the twin pack with someone who has not heard of the beauty of ASCR."

He went on to design & trademark the distictive two hearts logo. His hope was that the logo would become "the cause-marketing symbol (just like that pink ribbon) for this life-giving research." As a Catholic he was familiar with the symbolism of the two hearts, the Sacred Heart of Jesus & the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thus he was able to honor his love for them. But he has come to see it as meaning more than that. "Through the insights of others, it has come to mean even more! Some say it is the heart of the embryo and the heart of the adult stem cell donor joined together as all human life. There are those who have felt it represents the heart of the adult donor reaching out to help the patient, and still others interpret it as the two loving hearts of those sharing BOGO. My favorite has to be this meaning: you don’t have to stop one heart to help another." (Taken from The Story of Buy-One-Give-One)

They have already given over $10,000 in product & money. For each case of wine sold he donates $2 to adult stem cell research. There are 2 orginizations that this funding goes to.

1 is The Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. They have 1 goal, a cure for Parkinson's Disease. The Foundation was started by Monsignor Thomas Hartman. About 5 yrs ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. He told his parish about it in November 2003. He started the Foundation January 2004. The purpose of the foundation is to: "provide grants for the newest and most innovative scientific projects which offer the best hope for the advancement and development of a cure." Based on what they have heard from scientists & public testimony to Congress by the National Institutes of Health, they see this being accomplished in 10 yrs if the funding is there. Money for research is important, but they don't see that research alone as the answer. They "believe that we will find the cure through a combination of prayer and science."

They are firmly opposed to fetal/embryonic stem cell research. Fr. Tom says that he "was encouraged recently by a scientist who felt that a cure will come from the adult stem cells taken from our own bodies." How is this to be done? Fr. Tom says: "I believe that we are in a new frontier, and because of that we need to listen to science to know what we can do and we need to listen to the Church to learn what we ought to do. For that reason, the Thomas Hartman Foundation for Parkinson’s Research will fund the best scientific projects with the best chance of finding a cure while also adhering to the Church’s teachings."

The 2nd group is commonly known as The Will Ambler Project. The official name is SCI Research Advancement 501c3. (SCI stands for spinal cord injury.) They describe themselves as: "a group of paras and quads that are funding our own research team to bring spinal cord regeneration to humans ASAP. " Their research project focuses on "non-embryonic / non-fetal stem cell treatments to repair spinal cord injury" Will Ambler suffered injury to his spinal cord as a result of 1992 motorcycle accident. He found that those who were working with fetal tissue were constantly making promises for treatment but never following through. He eventually came in contact with Dr. Michel F. Levesque, MD, the Director of the Cedars-Sinai Neurofunctional Surgery Centre. He later came in contact with Dr. Jean Peduzzi, Ph.D., University of Alabama. Birmingham. They are currently conducting various experiments with rats & hope to be able to begin human clinic trials soon.

Their project "is an extremely focused approach to evaluate several treatments of the spinal cord injury using two different models of spinal cord injury, removal of a segment of the spinal cord and chronically injured (weight drop or cut) spinal cord." To accomplish this they are doing 2 projects. The 1st project focuses on reconstruction of the acutely injured spinal cord. The focus of the 2nd project is reconstruction of the chronically injured spinal cord. (More detail about the groups & their projects can be found by clicking on their links.)

Their is 1 other way in which BOGO is helping pro-life orginizations. They can sign up for an affiliate program that allows the group to put up a hotlink banner on their website. Any resulting sales net the group 7% of the dollar amount of that sale.

BOGO currently offers 3 wines for sale. They are a red, 2003 BOGO Rosso Puglia, IGT Italy (40% Sangiovese and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon), a white, 2004 Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie IGT (100% Pinot Grigio), Italy & a rose, 2004 Rosato Puglia IGT, Italy. IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica. It is 1 of the 4 designations used for Italian wines. It is used for a wine that is from a specific zone in Italy & of a higher quality than the vino da tavola, but does not fall under 1 of the more strict Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) & Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) appelations. While of equal or greater quality than the DOC & DOCG wines they are not made from the traditional types of grapes or they are made by a non-traditional process.

I have not tried the wines. I just discovered the company from an article in Americal Life League's Celebrate Life. But the American Wine Society reviewer, Judith Majher, has given them a positive review. But, being a stong advocate of anything that supports pro-life research, esp since many corporations give huge amounts to groups like Planned Parenthood or orginizations that support fetal stem cell research I felt this was a corporation that deserved to have attention drawn to it. (The fact that the wines are Italiano & I am proud of my Italiano heritage didn't hurt either. & I am firmly in the camp of those who urge moderation in alcohol consumption.)

Psalm 104:14-15 says: "You bring bread from the earth, and wine to gladden our hearts." For those pro-lifers who can & do drink wine here is a wine that will truly gladden your heart.