 |
 |
Bogus Charity Loses Its Status ... Parkinson's Group No Longer Tax-Free Spent about $1M on exorbitant costs The Toronto Star, Canada TARANNUM KAMLANI - STAFF REPORTER Fri. Sep. 3, 2004 - 07:25 AM A bogus charity that spent less than 1 per cent of the more than $1 million it raised on charitable expenditures has had its tax-free status revoked. The Parkinson's Support and Research Society - not to be confused with the legitimate Parkinson Society of Canada - was the subject of a government audit in March of this year, after a Toronto Star investigation into its fundraising activities. The revocation of the society's status - and its right to issue charitable tax receipts - became effective Aug. 28, after a federal court dismissed its appeal of an earlier ruling. The Star investigation, published in 2002, found that The Parkinson's Support and Research Society, based in Bedford, N.S., raised money throughout Canada. Donors were told their contributions would build a chain of adult daycare centres, fund research, lobby drug companies for cheaper medication and offer support to those with the disease. Instead, the more than $1 million collected by the charity was spent on exorbitant fundraising costs, cigarettes, alcohol, dinners, mysterious cash payments and trips to a casino, according to the government audit. "In March, we took the decision to revoke this organization's charitable status because they were not sufficiently diverting resources to charitable purposes as per the income tax act," said Canada Revenue Agency spokesperson Chris Girouard. The charity appealed and kept on fundraising but, by early August, CRA had obtained a court order preventing the charity from issuing tax receipts pending a ruling on the appeal. The revocation became effective Aug. 28, after a federal court dismissed the appeal. The Parkinson's Support and Research Society was established by ex-RCMP officer David Waldron, who said he had began to suffer the onset of the disease. Directors included his daughter Kimberly Waldron and other relatives. They did not return calls for comment. SOURCE: The Toronto Star, Canada http://tinyurl.com/63qzf * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn