A limo company is accused of taking away thousands of dollars, donated by a nonprofit to help young Eton Firefighter survivors a dance night to remember-and then disappeared without a word, leaving behind twenty dolls teenagers without a bike ride.
According to the head of the nonprofit, students at Marshall Base High School lost their homes in the January fire and stood up Saturday by limousine service Wize Guy Entertainment, children of nonprofit Alice paid the price to transport it to the dance.
“Alice's Kids is outraged and heartbroken over the failure of Shawn Lasley, owner of Wize Guy Entertainment, to provide limousine services — for which he was paid $4,320 — services meant to give 24 deserving high school students affected by the Eaton wildfires a special and memorable prom night,” Sean Fitzsimmons, Alice's Kids executive director, said in a statement.
Longtime Alice children supporter Steve Carell released a video in March announcing that the Virginia-based nonprofit will donate $175,000 to cover ball tickets to about 800 students in six schools in Altadena and Pasadena. Fitzsimmons then traveled to Los Angeles last weekend to attend the pre-celebration and offered to pay for the limousine as a reward.
Lasley did not respond to the Times' request for comment. Wize Guy Entertainment was canceled after an angry parent left a series of negative comments on the business Yelp page.
Altadena's mother Carrie Meyers said she was angry when she realized the kids were standing up. Meyers lost two homes she had lasted for forty years in her family, and her business, Steve's pet (founded by her uncle in 1971) arrived at the Eaton Fire.
This year has been a nightmare for the entire family, and she said the crushing defeat was one night designed to bring you a joyful breath and feels like a fool.
Fortunately, students still attended the prom after their parents ordered Uber to order Uber for the group, Meyers said. But they really have to miss the professional photos planned to be done along the way.
Fitzsimmons said Alice's children are committed to keeping the limousine company accountable for the so-called unshows.
“As a nonprofit dedicated to helping children in need, Alice’s children found that this violation was not only unacceptable, but also abused charitable funds,” he said. “We requested a full refund and were ready to pursue all legal and public avenues to ensure liability.”
Meyers added that the affected teen’s parents were also frustrated.
"The key is that you won't be mingled with my kids," she said. "All our moms, you won't be mingled with our kids."