Proceeds from charity ice-fishing event in Manitoba missing
Manitoba’s fishing community wants to know what happened to the proceeds from a charity tournament earmarked for the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“I’m not happy at all, like it’s very frustrating,” said tournament participant Kris Gaune.
“There has to be an explanation for this, like, I couldn’t really process this,” said angler and fishing blogger Shu-Mon Mok who used his platform to promote the tournament.
According to those who took part in the tournament last February hundreds of anglers entered the Full Tilt Winter Walleye Tournament.
It was an ice-fishing event organized to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.
The tournament allowed anglers to snag fish and send proof of their catches virtually.
For $50, people could enter to win cash and prizes donated by businesses.
Gaune donated free guide trips.
“It was just a bonus that the money you were putting in was going to a charity and you had the chance at actually winning some money back or prizes,” said Gaune.
However, the hospital foundation tells CTV News in a statement it has not received any of the proceeds.
“To date the funds from this third party event have not been turned over to the foundation. We are continuing to try to resolve this with the organizer,” reads the statement.
CTV News is not naming the organizer and has reached out to him for comment.
The foundation said it also consulted with the Winnipeg Police Service.
In a statement, the WPS tells CTV News it is aware of the situation “and investigators are assessing the information. No investigation has been initiated as of yet.”
FishDonkey, the company behind the app used for the event, said it has spoken with the Winnipeg Police Service’s financial crimes unit.
It is unclear how much money was raised, but some in the fishing community say it could range between $20,000 and $30,000.
There is now an effort by some of the participants and vendors to set up another fundraiser to make the foundation whole.
“I would love to see that happen, just to get something to the kids and the foundation,” said Gaune.
Shu-Mon Mok worries this could put a chill on similar fundraising efforts.
“People are really going to be thinking twice about such events and I really hope that’s not the case because it’s really a good idea in the end,” said Mok.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.