The Clallam County Sheriff's Office is advising local residents that a company is conducting an unsanctioned telephone solicitation campaign seeking donations.

The organization calling itself

Search and Rescue Charities telephones local residents asking for a donation to support search and rescue organizations. However, they retain the vast majority of the donation for themselves and pass along a very small amount to the local search and rescue group. Typically they pass along just pennies of every dollar to the organization.

According to Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict, Clallam County Search and Rescue has not sanctioned or agreed to participate in any such telephone

solicitation campaign. The Sheriff's Office does not seek or authorize any donations by telephone. Such unauthorized phone solicitations seek to profit by using the good name of a local organization in order to make money for themselves.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to Clallam County Search and Rescue should contact the Clallam County Sheriff's Office directly in person or by telephone in order to make sure that every dollar goes directly to the Sheriff's Office.

Clallam County Sheriff's Office does not charge citizens for search and rescue efforts. Anyone having questions about receiving a phone call seeking a donation for Clallam County Search and Rescue should call the Sheriff's Office at 417-2262.