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Donations Possibly Used to Fund Vacation

Friday 02nd of March 2007 06:33:52 PM

Volunteer firefighters have to explain where they got the money to take a vacation to Cancun, Mexico back in January. Volunteers of Grandview Volunteer Fire Company 1, Fairfield, New Jersey, USA may have raised the money by asking for donations door-to-door wearing their uniforms last September on the anniversary of the World Trade Center disaster. While the department maintains they were raising money for the department, some are not so sure. Either way, raising money that was not used for the victim’s families of that tragic day has made some uncomfortable about future fund raising activities.

Fire Chief David Masso, who saw firefighters soliciting money that day called the fire company to see what they were up to. He was told they were raising money for the fire company. “I think that is very distasteful," he said. "I can't tell them how to raise their money, or how to spend it, but I thought that was wrong. I'm not a lawyer, I don't know if it's legal or not legal, but is it morally wrong? Absolutely, I wouldn't do it, my company wouldn't do it,” said Masso.

Proving where the money came from has been more challenging than police and fire department heads thought. There are many stories concerning how the money was raised. The trip to Cancun was, in part, to celebrate the retirement of Jean Meeuwissen, who retired in December. “The company paid for me. It was money we saved. ... They celebrated my 70th birthday and my last time in the fire department,” said Meeuwissen.

While still figuring out how the trip was paid for, volunteer firefighters have not been charged. Since monies made from fundraising events are used to pay for new uniforms and equipment, there is still much to investigate in terms of financial records and equipment purchases.

(c)Tony Hathcock, www.sxc.hu