Cheryl Huxter is confident that there was something amiss when three young girls showed up at her Steady Brook home last week claiming they were collecting money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
Last Wednesday, Huxter said the three girls — the oldest was about 10, a second one about seven or eight and a younger one — rang the doorbell of her home.
When she answered they said they were collecting for the Canadian Cancer Society and asked would she like to donate.
Huxter told them she wouldn’t donate anything unless they could show her some documentation.
“Of course, they didn’t have any official receipts, nothing. And the one little girl said, ‘Oh we left that home.’”
Without getting a donation the trio left.
“They were quite brazen and I just got the feeling they were filling their pockets,” said Huxter.
Hers wasn’t the only house the girls visited as she saw them go to other doors. They also asked for money at her sister-in-law’s home.
“I don’t know if they got any from anybody else or not, but it was quite obvious to me that it was a skullduggery on their part.”
Huxter drove around the community after to see if she could spot them.
“I was really lax in not asking their names or where they lived,” she said, but noted she has seen them walking around town before.
Huxter called the Cancer Society about the incident and left a voicemail message.
Janice Wellon, community resource co-ordinator with the Corner Brook office, said Wednesday afternoon that she had received Huxter’s message and was looking into the issue.
Wellon said at this time the Cancer Society is not conducting a door-to-door campaign in the area. She said there may be people out collecting sponsors for the upcoming Relay for Life event, but these people would have proper documentation in the form of sponsor sheets and receipts.
She planned to reach out to Huxter and if necessary the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The Star checked with the Corner Brook Detachment of the RCMP to see if it had received any complaints. A spokesperson checked the files going back as far as Aug. 27, but said there had been no complaints of suspicious or fraudulent activity in the town.
Huxter contacted The Western Star because the situation didn’t feel right and she felt people should be warned of the potential fraudulent activity should they be approached.
In hindsight she said she should have contacted police at the time.
Anyone with questions or concerns about Cancer Society fundraising can contact Wellon at 634-6542.
