Doug Sage helped with charity campaign

I am the chairman and founder of the Tunijjusairut Foundation, a Canadian non-profit registered charity whose mandate is to benefit the children and families of the Baffin region.

For well over a decade we have made an annual shipment of Christmas presents (typically over 1,000), for the kids. In the past few years we have expanded the program to include sewing machines, wool and fabric to support moms in communities all over the Baffin region.

None of this would have been possible without the help of Doug Sage, who coordinated the shipments and directed them to the recipients on a ”most-needed” basis.

Every year about this time, I phoned Doug Sage and ask what he needed for the current year, and then I would do my shopping, mainly at Zellers, which give us very generous discounts.

My company, Investor’s Group, matches our donations, and has provided tens of thousands of dollars in grants. Dan Kane of Canadian North has provided unquestioning and enthusiastic support by flying the shipment, sometimes more than a ton of freight, free of charge from Edmonton into Iqaluit, then Doug takes it over, arranging wrapping, warehousing and shipping out to the communities where local agencies put into the hands of the families.

I personally have never met the many of the individuals involved, who so generously facilitate this program. All this is done on a ”100 cents on the dollar” basis, actually getting to the families. No one makes a thin dime off it.

I challenge any other charity to match that! Over the years, we’ve had our challenges, but each year we’ve met our goals both in terms of logistics and finances, and by Christmas, we try to see that no child goes without.

The sewing program has been enormously beneficial in terms of support at the individual family level – not as a hand-out, but by helping moms sew for their families.

This year, Doug and I discussed shipping some heavy-duty commercial machines capable of sewing seal skin.

My point is that without Doug Sage’s quiet, behind-the-scenes support, I would not be able to run this foundation, and I think it’s time that the people of the Baffin region were made aware of it.

Peter M. Clarke
Chairman
Tunijjusairut Foundation
Victoria, BC
clarketrim@shaw.ca