No local benefits from firefighter fund-raiser

Sue Doyle

NEWPORT BEACH -- A Santa Ana-based fund-raising business claiming to

raise money for a disabled firefighter association does not share funds

with the Newport Beach Fire Department, authorities warned Wednesday.

Phone solicitors from North American Charitable Services have reportedly

called residents asking for donations and allegedly said the money

supported local firefighters, said Lt. John Blauer of the Newport Beach

Fire and Marine Department.

But local firefighters won’t see a dime from the fund-raiser. In a joint

statement, the Newport Beach Fire Department and the Newport Beach

Firefighters Assn. said they are not affiliated with North American

Charitable Services.

Officials learned about the solicitation after they received

approximately 15 phone calls in the past two weeks from residents who

questioned the charity.

“It’s not our goal to pull money from peoples’ hands,” Blauer said. “We

have events to raise money and let the public know about it.”

Local firefighters raise money through the sale of T-shirts and items at

annual events such as Public Safety Day in October and chili cook-offs --

never over the phone.

North American Charitable Services denied the allegations and charged the

Newport Beach Fire Department with competing for donor dollars. The

organization raises funds on a national level for different charitable

programs, said Mitch Gold, director of fund-raising for North American

Charitable Services.

“The inference is that the organization is a sham,” Gold said. “But the

group is conscientious that the money goes back to the community.”

One Newport Beach resident, David Cooley, stopped payment on his check to

the charity after he suspected something was not legitimate about the

solicitation.

He called the next day and asked what percentage of the funds actually

went to the charity. When solicitors couldn’t give an answer or even an

approximation, Cooley became suspicious.

“What angers me is that this makes people become suspicious and less

likely to donate to legitimate charities,” Cooley said.

Cooley said phone solicitors did not specifically mention that funds

supported local firefighters when they called him over the weekend.