The concept of Squamish adopting a tsunami-stricken village in south Asia for redevelopment is spreading.
The initiative put in motion by Jeff Dawson and backed by hundreds of volunteers in Squamish picked up a new partner this week. MAC Real Estate, a Vancouver-based real estate agency, announced on Tuesday (Jan. 11) that it is partnering with Squamish to take the idea to the next level.
The goal of MAC and the Squamish group is to raise at least a million dollars for an adopted village.Dawson hopes that the partnership will inspire other communities and other businesses to work together the way MAC is with Squamish.
The owners of MAC decided to contribute to disaster relief when they learned just after New Year's that the company had the second highest residential sales in British Columbia last year, selling $170 million worth of new homes for their clients.
"I wanted to give something," said MAC co-owner Jason Craik.
To that end, the company put $100,000 into the Squamish initiative and MAC will donate $100 for each home it sells in 2005. The money donated by MAC is earmarked for the rebuilding of homes that were destroyed.
MAC co-owner Cameron McNeil said initially the company planned to work alone and adopt a village. After doing some initial work they concluded that it was smarter to pool res-ources with others.
"First, we want to donate enough cash to cover the cost of rebuilding all the homes in our adopted village," he said.
"In Vancouver we're in the business of helping people put a roof over their heads and it just seemed natural for us to target the same need with our donation. Secondly, we want our example to convince other businesses to cover other rebuilding costs in our adopted village. For example, I'd like to see a construction business donate money to help our village rebuild its roads. Thirdly, and this is one of the reasons we wanted to join forces with Squamish, we want businesses and municipalities all over the world to see what we are doing and copy us."
Dawson and others working on what is now known as the Humanity Village Project in Squamish are attempting to have one of the major relief agencies set up a matchmaking service that links sponsors with individual villages in the disaster area.
"We have the ability to raise money and mobilize skilled volunteers," Dawson said. "We still need a partner agency at the front lines with the ability to target the right kind of assistance to the adopted village."
The money from MAC Realty will be added to the more than $8,500 raised by the Sikh Society of Squamish.
Along with the large donations there are many examples of individuals and families contributing to the initiative. Newlyweds Renee Lecky and Barrie Hurford went to Sea to Sky Community Services, the agency collecting donations for the local humanitarian initiative, and donated $300 from the wedding money they received.
A group of volunteers with Squamish's Humanity Village initiative met on Wednesday and another meeting is set for Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Company.
The local initiative is running very smoothly, said Dawson. He is looking forward to allowing other volunteers take on some of the things he is doing so he can lighten his own workload with the volunteer initiative.
Dawson said that all the meeting spaces used to date were donated and he appreciates that gesture from local business owners.
"I didn't even have to ask; they offered it," Dawson said.
Anyone who wants to help with the local initiative but hasn't become involved already is invited to visit the website at www.humanityvillage.org to get more information or to call 604-815-4004 to get involved.
