Agencies still haven’t charity donations
Bayshore Group held boxing fundraiser
Mike Lethby hasn’t disposed of the giant novelty cheque made out to The RAFT for $45,000.
“It’s sitting there,” said the executive director of the St. Catharines agency that provides support services, programs and resources for at-risk youth.
“It’s a cautionary tale.”
The RAFT is one of four organizations that were supposed to receive donations from Fight for Youth Niagara, a boxing event presented by Bayshore Groups at the Meridian Centre on May 13, 2017 which featured guest Mike Tyson.
Fight for Youth billed itself as a not-for-profit event benefiting programming for youth in need. Its website said the event was proudly supporting The RAFT, Crime Stoppers of Niagara, Jarico and the St. Catharines and District Shrine Club.
But more than a year later, three of the organizations say they haven’t received any money from the event, despite being presented with giant novelty cheques worth a total $110,000 during a press conference on Aug. 8, 2017.
“This is the first time this has ever happened, where someone has promised us money and then never actually paid,” said Lethby, adding The RAFT has no recourse because the money was supposed to be a donation and there was no legal agreement.
Gunther Arndt, president of St. Catharines and District Shrine Club, said Wednesday the club never did get the $25,000 that was printed on the novelty cheque its members posed with for a photo.
The group had earmarked the money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Montreal and told the hospital the money was coming. The club’s only Canadian hospital, it provides care to children with burns, neuromusculoskeletal conditions and other special needs.
Arndt said the Shriners received a letter from Bayshore’s lawyer almost a year ago saying they’d get a cheque when Canada Revenue was done auditing the charity, but nothing happened after that. He isn’t holding out hope they’ll see the money now.
“I doubt it because we haven’t heard a word for them, not even a letter from their lawyer again.”
Arndt said the whole ordeal actually cost the Shrine Club money because they had to buy a table at the boxing match.
Crime Stoppers of Niagara was supposed to receive $40,000 from Fight for Youth but board chair Ernie Sibbett said Wednesday they didn’t receive any of that money.
“We’ve buttoned up and we’re doing fine but it wasn’t easy,” he said, explaining the organization was on a roller-coaster ride for a while because of the promised funds. The donation was supposed to go towards junior programming.
Sibbett said the group did receive promised sponsorship money from Bayshore Groups for a golf tournament Crime Stoppers ran.
The fourth group, Jarico Films for Youth — which was given a giant novelty cheque for $25,000 — did receive some funds.
Jason Lupish of the startup not-for-profit said it received $15,000 of the amount and $10,000 to be used for programs and services from Bayshore, which he said was the agreement.
Fight for Youth event chair and Bayshore Groups vice-president Chiara J-Megna did not respond to The Standard’s requests for an interview.
Bayshore Lawyer Howard Manis said he paid two of the charities and was unaware of the status of the others.
The RAFT, which was supposed to be the largest beneficiary of the event, had earmarked the money for its Youth Reconnect Program.
The preventative program works with youth, especially in rural communities in Niagara, to help them stay in school and work through crises without having to come into urban centres to receive services.
Lethby said the program has reduced The RAFT’s shelter usage by 70 per cent since it was launched in 2008 and is working with 200 to 240 students.
The organization is hoping to help fill the gap by having been named a beneficiary in the upcoming City of St. Catharines Mayor’s Invitational Golf Tournament on July 23.
Lethby said The RAFT contacted Mayor Walter Sendzik’s office to update him on the situation since Bayshore is a St. Catharines business and he put the organization’s name forward for consideration to the tournament’s committee.