I was always a fan and I remember just where I was when I heard she'd died. I was in college working at the college town's podunk newspaper on a Saturday morning, when the news came over the wire. She has SOO many good routines, I could watch her for hours. We lost such a huge talent and a wonderful human being who had so much more left to give. It's truly sad that the club managers are giving her and her family such a slap in the face insult.

She should never be forgotten.

So somebody who wasn't famous at all can be the namesake for a cancer foundation, but not somebody who isn't quite famous enough anymore...because she died...

I think Gilda would be more interested in the group reaching more people than in having the group bear her name. I can't speak for her, of course, but as I understand it she wanted everyone to have access to the kind of support she found at the Wellness Community. Now, the organization of Gilda's Club affiliates has grown, and they've actually merged with Wellness Community. That's what prompted the new name, although various affiliates are phasing it in, rather than all changing at once.

director of the Madison center mentioned the issue of name recognition in conjunction with the name change, the fact is that, as the original article that the OP article references mentioned, the name change is being phased in at the national level. Other affiliates have switched over in the year or two or three before now.

The name change came about because of the organization's merger with Wellness Community, which allows Gilda's Club to extend it's mission even further and reach more people. And that, to me, is the real tribute to the great Gilda Radner. Many people will find support and comfort because of the organization built by the people who cared about her and by the people who came to care about the organization. That's quite a legacy, and far more of a testament to her, by my reckoning, than the name.

The group was started in Gilda's memory, no doubt funded by her family, friends and fans.

The "branding" craze is everywhere. Even the repigs talked openly about their "brand," which is now shit.

Educate those who were born after Gilda died. It's not that hard, and as far as I know, no one's tried to make money off the "brand" as the Komen grifters have done.

Everything became political in the last few years. Enough! Dammit, this is about life vs death, not trying to score points off dead women's legacies to promote some asshole who wants to get into office to steal more from those who can least afford it.

Gilda was his wife.

of Gilda's Club (such as Mandy Patinkin): http://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/MainMenu/About-CSC/Board-Staff/Honorary-Board.html

Joanna Bull is the therapist who started the first Gilda's Club at Gene's (and a few others') behest. I could be wrong, but I believe she is still involved with the national organization and was involved in the merger with Wellness Community, which is the center where Gilda found comfort during her illness. It's what inspired Gene to want to start Gilda's Club. The two organizations both grew over the years, and then merged in 2009. That's when the organization took the new name, but local affiliates have adopted the new name at a slower pace.

Well, it is more direct. And the goal is helping people with cancer. I don't think Gilda minds at all.

The whole point of a local chapter of a cancer support group is to be personal and intimate. Teach the young women who Gilda was. It adds a personal background to why these young women are able to gather for support in the first place. My mother had breast cancer back when there were no support groups. Back when survival rates were not that great(she died at 32), and back when the patient had little say in their treatment. The doctor knew best and you didn't need to know why. We cannot forget the women who came before us who fought for respect from the doctors, for the right to talk openly about a subject that was too taboo to speak of in public, and fought for their lives. Don't forget the ones who fought the fight before we did. That really would be a tragedy.

You write, "Teach the young women who Gilda was. It adds a personal background to why these young women are able to gather for support in the first place."

This might lead some to think that the organization is only for women, or only for people with ovarian cancer or breast cancer, or some such. In fact, Gilda's Club is open to all cancer patients and their families.

Teach the young women and the young men who Gilda was!

Gilda wouldn't care. "ya know it's always somethin"

so 1933

Today I couldn't get the screw thingy out of the whatchamacallit .....and I knew exactly what I needed...I finally found a dime!

Worked great!

My son was born a year later, and I'm sure he has no clue who Gilda Radner is. My daughter is 15 and she doesn't either.

Thank God for us old folks who remember her from the early days of SNL.

It's a non-profit organization. I'm confused.

You can't stop the clock...

I still love you, Gilda. Thanks for the many laughs.

just go print up some info on her to have handy but instead would rather just rename the charity. This is the information age but why bother informing people of something they don't know, just change it.

... Thanks to "No Child Left (Behind)" ... teaching to the test, not teaching information or critical thinking/ research skills & feeding kids Adderal and PS3 instead of spending time with them ... it makes me sick to see dumb-as-fuck 18 year olds spouting Bullshit Bullet Points as their life philosophies when spending an hour in a real library rather than playing Mortal Combat would open their eyes by leaps and bounds.

Don't get me started ...