Ditto. 
I had no idea that this was the situation when I posted about the rally here. I belong to the same military wives' site that the ladies who started Red Fridays belong to, and naturally assumed a connection. It is amazing that their names and the names of the fallen and wounded soldiers are being used without their express permission. Unreal.
I'm not sure I know what name u use on the other site in which we belong, but I am one of the two ladies you speak of Celticgirl.
Let me bring to everyones attention yet another article that appeared in todays edition of the Trenton Ontario "Trentonian" newspaper.
MFRC raises red flag over Red Friday rallies
Posted By Caitlin den Boer - The Trentonian
Posted 10 hours ago
The Trenton Military Family Resource Centre is taking exception to the way a private business is raising money for related military charities.
On May 31, a large-scale Memorial Drive Rally leaving from Trenton’s Centennial Park will take place along the Highway of Heroes and arriving at Downsview Park in Toronto. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend.
The rally is being headed by the Red Friday Foundation a private business that started in 2006.
Upwards of 83 vehicles will make up a memorial procession, followed by the ‘Poppy Truck’ and led by the Red Friday Memorial Car. The memorial car displays the names of the 83 fallen soldiers on the vehicles side panels.
But neither the MFRC nor the Department of National Defence are endorsing the rally.
“This is a private for-profit organization,” said Eve Lawrence, Separation Support Services coordinator for the Trenton MFRC. “There is a lot of not-for-profit organizations and this is not one of them.”
Since the private business’s inception in 2006 it has donated $1,000 to the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA). The funds were raised from the selling of Support Our Troops, hats, ribbons, pins and shirts.
But, the business will not be donating any more funds to the agency. “The CFPSA is just a big pot and we don’t really know where the money is going to,” said Red Friday Foundation owner Brian Muntz.
The proceeds from Saturday’s rally will go to support the Canadian Hearing Society to cover their funds short fall to assist veterans. Muntz hopes he’ll be able to raise $12,000, for the society with any surplus going to the Tony Stacey Home for Veterans and the Royal Canadian Legion Morale Fund.
It will cost an estimated $10,000 to stage the Memorial Drive and Rally, including the cost of a portable stage, sound gear and the facilities at Downsview Park, said Muntz.
Lisa Miller, an Ottawa resident who started the original Red Friday’s, said she and close friend Karen Boire have run rallies that haven't cost a single penny.
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“We’ve had mixed emotions about this foundation since the beginning,” said Miller, “and the only reason we found out about him because he had our name’s listed on his donation page.”
Miller added that the unknown use of their names on the site, prompted phone calls to her home and that of Boire’s, from people looking to donate to their Red Friday’s campaign.
After Miller contacted Muntz, she said he invited them to participate in his site, and offered them honourary positions and various products, but she says that never led anywhere.
Both Miller and Boire have received awards for their Red Friday efforts.
“People trust people who are trying to do the right thing. It’s a morale thing and you’re taking it on faith,” said Miller.
Miller and Boire weren’t the only people whose name Muntz has used without their permission.
Andrew Eykelenboom, died in August 2006, at the age of 23 when he was killed by a suicide bomber in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan. His name is one of the 83 that appears on the Red Friday Memorial Car.
Andrew’s mother Maureen and creator of Boomer’s Legacy, a charitable foundation, had no idea her son’s name would be on the car or anything about the rally until an interview with The Trentonian from her British Columbia home Monday.
“If they’re using their deaths as a catalyst to do something good, because that’s what they were doing then I will support them,” said Eykelenboom. “But you have to be transparent.”
But, Lt. Commander Hubert Genest from DND Public Affairs in Ottawa stated, “DND is currently looking into intellectual property issues that may arise from The Red Friday Foundation’s us of Canadian Forces’ pictures and other images.”
Genest added, that the “Red Friday” campaigns, like that put on by Miller and Boire are not to be confused with the Red Fridays Foundation.
The foundation is a for-profit, private sector organization that generates funds by selling a variety of products labeled with the slogan “Support Our Troops,” said Genest.
The Canadian Army Veterans Motorcycle Units will be on-hand to assist with parking.
Bill ‘Drifter’ Truman, president of the Kingston Unit said any suspicions the CAV had previously with Muntz and the Red Friday Foundation are no longer present.
“He’s satisfied us with his information,” said Truman, “We have investigated him thoroughly and have kept him at arm’s length but we’re committed to this event. As far as we know he is on the up and up.”
When asked why he didn’t register the Red Friday Foundation as a non-profit charitable organization Muntz stated, “Our intentions are that we will become one, but a charity can not give a way cash donations to another charity.”
Muntz added that in future he hopes to set up scholarships in the name of those who have fallen.
In the event of a repatriation ceremony occurring at the same time as Saturday’s event Muntz said that the event would be postponed to a future date.
“We would go directly to the media and ask everyone to come out to the bridges. They would take precedence in a heartbeat.”
With files from Osprey News Network
