Salvation Army Refuses Lotto Donation

[johnnymk]

The Associated Press


The Salvation Army will not accept a $100,000 donation from a Florida Lotto winner because its local leader didn't want to take money associated with gambling.

David L. Rush, 71, announced the gift last week. He held one of four winning tickets in the $100 million Florida Lotto jackpot drawing of Dec. 14 and took a $14.3 million lump sum payment.

Maj. Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army office in Naples, told Rush that he could not take his money and returned the check, which another official had accepted.

"There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he would be talking out of both sides of his mouth."

Rush also donated $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $50,000 to the Rotary Club of Marco Island. Both groups accepted the gifts.

"Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," said Rush. "I respect the Salvation Army's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative." He said he has been giving money to the Salvation Army, an evangelical Christian organization, for 40 years.

Rush sees the lottery, which has raised billions for Florida schools, as something other than a typical gambling organization.

"There's no bigger gamble than investing in the stock market," said Rush, a financial adviser. "For them to say this is gambling is an overstatement."

[nickel]

whaddup, that is just plain stupid. don't look a gift horse in the mouth. course they shouldn't take money from a bank heist, but this is legit dough.

[WhiskeyPapa]

"There's no bigger gamble than investing in the stock market," said Rush, a financial adviser. What a stupid thing for a financial advisor to say. Good thing he won that money, becuse with an attitude like that, he was going broke as a finacial advisor real soon! :heh:

Perhaps if this guy would have been a little more discrete in donating the money, it would have been accepted. But no, he hops up on a sopbox and yells "I WON THE LOTTERY AND I'M GIVING $100,000 TO THE SALVATION ARMY!"

And the position of the Salvation Army is not stupid. You would expect an anti-gun organization to refuse money from Winchester, and an anti-tobacco organization to refuse money from Phillip Morris.

[nickel]

Originally posted by kb0wwp

And the position of the Salvation Army is not stupid. You would expect an anti-gun organization to refuse money from Winchester, and an anti-tobacco organization to refuse money from Phillip Morris.

stupid is as stupid does. the Catholic Church speaks out vehemently against gambling, too, but wtf is BINGO then?

[Nija]

Originally posted by kb0wwp
And the position of the Salvation Army is not stupid. You would expect an anti-gun organization to refuse money from Winchester, and an anti-tobacco organization to refuse money from Phillip Morris.

I never saw the logic there. If they are contributing to their "enemies" why can't they use that donated money against them? So what if they start pressuring them? use the donated money to your advantage. or am i missing something that says if someone gives you money, you have to do like they say?

[Butch]

Originally posted by nickelback


stupid is as stupid does. the Catholic Church speaks out vehemently against gambling, too, but wtf is BINGO then?

You mean the Catholic Church doesn't practice what they preach whenever it benefits them not to??? Color me surprised! ;)

[attgig]

Originally posted by nickelback


stupid is as stupid does. the Catholic Church speaks out vehemently against gambling, too, but wtf is BINGO then?

Salvation Army isn't associated to the Catholic Church.



Originally posted by johnnymk
"There are times where Major Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he would be talking out of both sides of his mouth."


I think that quote is good enough of an explanation to me....
If it's his personal conviction that lotto is gambling, then let him be.
don't try to split hairs, and tell him he's wrong.

[mojo]

Originally posted by nickelback
wtf is BINGO then? um...his name-o? :P

[nickel]

:heh:

who's name-o? :hmm:

[TofuNinja]

As lame as it sounds refusing such a gift, I respect him for standing up to his own principles.

[cheapie]

good for him! and i'll bet someone steps up and covers the amount he refused.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by TofuNinja
As lame as it sounds refusing such a gift, I respect him for standing up to his own principles.

Yeah but his foolish pride will deprive his organization of much needed resources. Resources that could help many people in need. Sometimes it is better to be humble and do a lot of good then be overly righteous and leave others out in the cold.

[Merlin]

What a small world! Just as I finish my previous response I get the day's mail dropped on my desk and low and behold the Salvation Army has sent me a solitation for money. I guess they don't realize that I'm just a sinner and that they don't want my dirty money. :P

[blueindian]

Originally posted by Merlin


Yeah but his foolish pride will deprive his organization of much needed resources. Resources that could help many people in need. Sometimes it is better to be humble and do a lot of good then be overly righteous and leave others out in the cold.

i don't think it was pride that did it. it was principle.

[cheapie]

chances are some of the people it would help are there because they had gambling problems and lost everything. what kind of a message would it send to accept money from gambling proceeds?

[TofuNinja]

If he took the money it would be just like if President Bush took campaign money from Osama Bin Laden

[Cantacuzene]

I actually brought the Bingo question up a few years back to my aunt who is a nun and she gave me a really good explanation for why its OK, but I can't remember it now. I'll reply if I recall it though.

[Butch]

Originally posted by cheapbast@rd
chances are some of the people it would help are there because they had gambling problems and lost everything. what kind of a message would it send to accept money from gambling proceeds?

That gambling in moderation is fine . . . especially when you quit when you're ahead and have enough money left over to donate it to needy organizations? Of course, I know those folks who are gambling addicts are not able to gamble in moderation . . . but I don't think gambling in and of itself should be seen as a bad thing . . .

[Hunny]

Originally posted by Butch


That gambling in moderation is fine . . . especially when you quit when you're ahead and have enough money left over to donate it to needy organizations? Of course, I know those folks who are gambling addicts are not able to gamble in moderation . . . but I don't think gambling in and of itself should be seen as a bad thing . . .


He should have accepted the money graciously, and worried later how he could distribute it ...There are so many organizations out there screaming for help....maybe he could have donated it to the Red Cross...or Goodwill.....just a thought...:P

[attgig]

Originally posted by Butch
That gambling in moderation is fine . . . especially when you quit when you're ahead and have enough money left over to donate it to needy organizations? Of course, I know those folks who are gambling addicts are not able to gamble in moderation . . . but I don't think gambling in and of itself should be seen as a bad thing . . .

"Gambling in moderation is fine" is your own personal conviction and principle. He lives by different principles....


Originally posted by Hunny
He should have accepted the money graciously, and worried later how he could distribute it ...There are so many organizations out there screaming for help....maybe he could have donated it to the Red Cross...or Goodwill.....just a thought...:P

if the dude that actually won was so generous to donate some money to habitat for humanity and the rotary club, i'm sure the guy who's donating it will take care of it....




and merlin, just gonna echo blue indian... imo, it's not pride. that's like saying Jews won't eat pork because of their pride.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by attgig
and merlin, just gonna echo blue indian... imo, it's not pride. that's like saying Jews won't eat pork because of their pride.

Obviously this will be an area where folks will have different opinions but the way I see it is that it takes a considerable amount of pride to sit there and pass judgement on the quality of this gift. Personally I think he should have been a little more humble and done some good. But again, what consitiutes pride is a matter of opinion. :shrug:


And as for gambling... It in and of itself is not bad at all. It is just a form of entertainment. Now there are people who have difficulty controlling themselves and they should avoid it but for others it is just harmless fun.

[Butch]

Originally posted by attgig
"Gambling in moderation is fine" is your own personal conviction and principle. He lives by different principles....


My concern is that as a leader of an organization, he should be thinking about more than just his personal beliefs. Directors of corporations cannot act based on their personal interests if they run counter to the interests of the shareholders/stakeholders (depending on the state). It could certainly be argued that turning down this money was counter to the interests of the organization as a whole.

Of course, a charity is not a business . . . but there are many parallels

[WhiskeyPapa]

Originally posted by Butch
My concern is that as a leader of an organization, he should be thinking about more than just his personal beliefs. Um... this was a $100,000 donation. I'm sure the ultimate decision was made by a board after much deliberation. It was not made by one guy on the spur of the moment.

What if a packing plant had a banner year, and offered to donate $100,000 worth of processed pork to a charitable Muslim organization? After all, they could distribute the pork to the homeless... I would fully expect the Muslim organization to politely refuse the donation. This is pretty much the same type of situation.

Like I said before - if the guy really wanted to give 100 G's to the Salavation Army, he should have dropped it in a kettle. But he wanted more than to donate money - he also wanted recognition.

[Butch]

Originally posted by kb0wwp
Um... this was a $100,000 donation. I'm sure the ultimate decision was made by a board after much deliberation. It was not made by one guy on the spur of the moment.

What if a packing plant had a banner year, and offered to donate $100,000 worth of processed pork to a charitable Muslim organization? After all, they could distribute the pork to the homeless... I would fully expect the Muslim organization to politely refuse the donation. This is pretty much the same type of situation.

Like I said before - if the guy really wanted to give 100 G's to the Salavation Army, he should have dropped it in a kettle. But he wanted more than to donate money - he also wanted recognition.

If someone were to donate pork to a Muslim organization, that would certainly be against the interests of the organization as a whole and not solely based upon the beliefs of the leader of the organization. The organization is based upon shared beliefs . . .

However, in this case, it doesn't seem as though there is such a consensus . . . the donation was already accepted by another official . . . and whenever the spokesperson refers to the decision not to accept the money, she constantly points to the director in the third person singular . . . no mention of any group decision at all . . .

[TofuNinja]

After thinking a bit about this (like while I was taking a dump) Since the dude donates money to them anyway, I am sure his donations will greatly increase from this point on :) they will still get the money just not in a lump sum nor the possible full amount

[attgig]

hrm.
muslims eat pork, no?
are they supposed to be veggies?
or do they follow jewish customs of not eating pork?