Salvation Army refuses Lotto winner's $100,000 donation

Naples News ^ | 12/28/02 | Ray Parker

[Fighting Irish]

Lottery winner David Rush was irked Friday to find out local Salvation Army officials rejected his $100,000 donation.

The religious charity, popularly known for its bell ringers outside shopping malls during the holidays, preaches against gambling.

"The money that Mr. Rush received was via the lottery: We preach against gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan, who spoke on behalf of Cleo Damon, who heads the Collier County chapter and decided not to accept the donation. "To accept it would be to talk out both sides of our mouth."

Rush, a financial adviser, doesn't see lottery money as gambling. In his view, the money reaped from Wall Street investments involves a risk-gain factor, not unlike a lottery ticket.

"Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," Rush said. "I respect the Salvation Army's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative."

Instead, he will donate the money to other groups with similar missions.

The Marco Island resident donated to charities such as the Salvation Army prior to his windfall last week, which amounted to a 25 percent share of the $100 million lottery jackpot.

The 71-year-old took a lump sum payment of $14.2 million.

Earlier this week at a Rotary Club of Marco Island luncheon, he handed out checks for $100,000 to the Salvation Army, $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Collier County, and $50,000 to the Rotary Club.

Jerry Brunette, the Rotary Club's Salvation Army liaison, accepted the check, not knowing there would be a problem.

Even so, Brunette said he understands why the Salvation Army rejected the money.

"If everyone acted as strongly on their principles, we wouldn't need a Salvation Army" to help the poor and needy, Brunette said.

In addition to those three groups, Rush said he made contributions to his other favorite charities, including two churches.

Shanahan, the local Salvation Army director of community relations and development, stressed the group could have used the money.

Over the holidays, from Nov. 18 until Christmas Eve, local Salvation Army bell ringers collected more than $105,000, Shanahan said.

There's not a final figure on the total donations collected by the group, which, she said, helped more than 6,000 people with food, toys or clothing during the holiday season.

[goldstategop]

Kudos to the Salvation Army for standing on principle. They could have taken the money and explained it was a one time exception to the rules. Now that was a LOT of money and if character is doing the right thing when no one's looking the Salvation Army stepped up to the plate to do it. Their beliefs are against gambling and they took a hit in the pocketbooks to be true to their beliefs. The reason this is so extraordinary is most people prefer to go along with the crowd to avoid offending any one. As it turned out the Salvation Army for once lived up to its name since it is in the business of saving souls. I'd say what it got for doing what it did can't really be measured in dollars and is a whole more priceless.

[BradyLS]

They hit a grand slam for principle. Most would sell their souls for a slide into first.

[anniegetyourgun]

Agreed - they don't need filthy lucre. I appreciate the S.A. for being real.

[BradyLS]

I'm not sure that made any sense. Kudos to the Salvation Army for really doing the right thing.

[mdmathis6]

He should give it anonymously in varying sums in all the salvation army kettles around. Cash is very hard to trace...he should send it anonymously!

[JCG]

Kudos to the Salvation Army for standing on principle.

A year ago they stopped the gay hustle in its tracks by refusing to kowtow to them as well. Gotta admire 'em for their adherence to their faith.

America's Fifth Column ... watch Steve Emerson/PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
New Link: Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

Who is Steve Emerson?

[grania]

Here's a thought. Those who believe that this branch of the Salvation Army did the right thing should do the right thing. Does anyone have their address? I'd be willing to send a few dollars to thank them for sticking to principle.

When I first read this, I have to confess that it seemed ridiculous to refuse the money. But,it isn't. It's poor people not much different from those who the Salvation Army helps who are victimized by the lotteries. Maybe the example they set will help at least some people realize they shouldn't be buying lottery tickets if they can't afford other things.

I'm still not sure about refusing the donation. If this guy were truly a good samaritan he would find a way to get it to them anonymously...maybe lots of $100 bills in kettles.

[angkor]

The Salvation Army has one of the lowest expense ratios of all charities, something less than 10 percent.

[mdmathis6]

The money was not stolen or illegally gotten. There is no Bible injunction against gambling, just like there is none against alcohol. There are injunctions against greed, theft, and drunkeness. The man just wanted to give a little back and I just don't see a Bible injunction<"Thou shalt not take winnings from gambling as a donation for the poor!" in my Bible.

What I do see is a hypocritical organization making a public spectacle of this man,humiliating him instead of extending him Christ's grace. They should have accepted his money, and given him a Bible or something. What an evil man this was...why he GAMBLED! Yeah, they stood on principle all right..though I'm not sure it was Christ's principle they stood on(Can we say pharisee...boys and girls?)

[alisasny]

.....kinda like if he wants to volunteer for the salvation army will the let him because he is a former gambler....I agree with you on this one : )

[Bernard]

It's tough to deduct $100,000 in cash donations - no receipts. Lucky for us the IRS keeps track of such things, huh?

[KeyWest]

If that is their standard, then applaud them not castigate them. You can as easily say there is no injunction against homosexuality (as many liberal theologians do- for obvious reasons) so the SA should accept homosexuals.

All of us have a set of beliefs that we live by, Some may track right with Christ's and some may be more restrictive. I will not condemn those who are more restrictive than mine and hope they will not condemn me (such as enjoying movies - including Harry Potter).

Where I do have a problem is with those who trash the Bible and allow things that are clearly not allowed- such as homosexuality. Gambling my not be excluded, but when you look at the results of gambling and the hurt it can cause, I see no problem with it being on someone's excluded list.

[mdmathis6]

It was the public example made of the man that I have a problem with. I'm sure all these West Virginia baptists got to clucking together over such an aweful sin in that organinzation...I notice it was a spokeswoman who spoke of the Salvation Army's refusal of his money...where was the director. The man should give a huge amount in cash quietly and then announce what he had done with-out specifying the amount publically. Let the Salvation Army try to figure out how much was given at that point so that they could give it back to him...lets see this much from the public and this much from him...lol lol...they couldn't do it.

Wow, he won money in the lottery, such an absolute evilly lucre'd thing(eeeexcellent Smithers) to do...lets just condemn the man publically. Yeah I know many souls have a gambling problem but there is no absolute Bible law that says a man sins in forking over a few bucks for some tickets. We always have a habit of reading into scripture more rules than what the bible states while ignoring the most important injunctions such as Christians loving one another, and extending grace to each other when we have all been overtaken in a fault from time to time. We Christians continue to choke on each others gnats while we swallow whole camels...or expect others to swallow our Camels(or smoke them if you are rabidly anti-smoking)....Know wonder why we Christians come across as hardly relevant in today's world, when the world so desperately needs the message we have to give!

[mdmathis6]

It was the public example made of the man that I have a problem with. I'm sure all these West Virginia baptists got to clucking together over such an aweful sin in that organinzation...I notice it was a spokeswoman who spoke of the Salvation Army's refusal of his money...where was the director. The man should give a huge amount in cash quietly and then announce what he had done with-out specifying the amount publically. Let the Salvation Army try to figure out how much was given at that point so that they could give it back to him...lets see this much from the public and this much from him...lol lol...they couldn't do it.

Wow, he won money in the lottery, such an absolute evilly lucre'd thing(eeeexcellent Smithers) to do...lets just condemn the man publically. Yeah I know many souls have a gambling problem but there is no absolute Bible law that says a man sins in forking over a few bucks for some tickets. We always have a habit of reading into scripture more rules than what the bible states while ignoring the most important injunctions such as Christians loving one another, and extending grace to each other when we have all been overtaken in a fault from time to time. We Christians continue to choke on each others gnats while we swallow whole camels...or expect others to swallow our Camels(or smoke them if you are rabidly anti-smoking)....Know wonder why we Christians come across as hardly relevant in today's world, when the world so desperately needs the message we have to give!

[Fighting Irish]

I waited to weigh in on this until a few comments came in and this is my two cents worth...

I applaud the SA for having the courage of it's convictions but I personally think they are off base.

Exactly what constitutes gambling? Is spending the few cents on a stamp for the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes gambling? What's the difference?

The bible indicates the the "Wealth of the heathen is laid up for the just". Sounds to me like God makes the heathen rich so they can be provoked to give to the believers.

And the problem with this is............?

[Johnny Shear]

Idiots...

[xlib]

I expect the SA was more concerned with their standing among the thousands of gambling addicts in their care than with the possible affront to a man who, after all, is getting plenty of (undeserved) accolades. The fact that a spokesman, rather than the head of the SA, made the announcement refutes the claim that this was a publicity stunt on their part. The initial donation got a lot of media play; their response was a model of restraint. This doesn't strike me as pharisee behavior at all.

[mdmathis6]

I was thinking of that verse and the verse in Proverbs that says that "wealth gained by unrighteous usury is being saved up for the poor". Perhaps God is behind some of the poverty programs and taxes in this nation(certainly not all of them).

[sausageseller]

Waiting for the SA to screen their donors to see if they drink alcohol or have profited from it.