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w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER W e dn es da y, Se pt em be r 1 , 2 01 0 1 0 By Nathan Howes OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF An Oakville family has stepped forward and made a $500,000 contri- bution to the Canadian Red Cross to help with the recent floods in Pakistan that have affected 20 million peo- ple and left an estimated 1,600 people dead. The Canadian Red Cross received the dona- tion Aug. 20 at the Markham Civic Centre from The Sprott Foundation, which has been involved with the organization for several years. The foundation consists mainly of mem- bers from the Sprott family and makes annual donations of $3 or 4 mil- lion to various charities. The Sprott Foundation decided to make this announce- ment public to encour- age other Canadians to give what they can in support of the relief efforts in Pakistan, said Juliana Sprott, vice president of The Sprott Foundation. We also wanted to let the people of Pakistan know that our family cares about them and their fami- lies. The July floods have been some of the worst the country has experi- enced in 80 years. Relief continues to reach many affected communities but this disaster is still unfolding. Priorities are food, clean drinking water, tents and medical assistance. This situation in Pakistan is dire to say the least with approxi- mately 20 million people affected at this point, said Tanya Elliott, spokesperson for Canadian Red Cross. The needs are great right now for immediate relief but they will be ongoing for sometime in terms of supporting those people while their lives and their homes are recovered. The Canadian Red Cross has sent four mobile health units, a seven-person paramedic team and contributed $2.5 million to the International Red Cross appeal. In a joint effort with the Canadian Inter- national Development Agency, they have deployed $1 million in relief supplies that are now being distributed in the affected areas by the Red Cross Red Crescent network. The Red Cross has been on the ground from the very beginning of this incident. (They) have been in Pakistan since 2005 following the earthquake (so) we were able to quickly mobilize some emergency response units to provide additional health assis- tance as well a seven-person para- medic team, said Elliot. The initial response by charita- ble organizations sprung The Sprott Foundation into action after Juliana saw what was hap- pening through various media reports. I called my parents up and said, I think we really need to get involved here and make a signifi- cant donation because the chari- table response has been a little bit slow, said Sprott. Our board (of directors) is our family. Getting people to talk and vote on dona- tion requests can be very easy. With two more weeks remain- ing in the Monsoon season, the amount of rain that continues to fall has raised concerns about the spread of disease. One of the biggest fears right now with the flooding and the lack of clean drinking water is (the) water-borne diseases and epidemics, said Elliott. Its a race against time for eight organiza- tions to try and eliminate that possibility wherever possible or otherwise the death toll could increase. Our core mandate is the urgent human need. We always like to try and encourage other people to give on that level, said Sprott. Unfortunately, it seems like every six months theres a dis- aster. Canadians wishing to help sup- port relief efforts in Pakistan can contribute online at www.red- cross.ca or by calling 1-800-418- 1111 or the Oakville Red Cross at 905-845-5241. Cheques can be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross, ear- marked Pakistan Floods 2010 and mailed to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2. Donate $5 by texting REDCROSS to 30333. Sprott foundation donates $500,000 for Pakistan flood relief Our core mandate is the urgent need. We always like to try and encourage other people to give on that level. Unfortunately, it seems like every six months theres a disaster. Julian Sprott, vice-president of The Sprott Foundation Preserve the beauty and market value of your home Protection against oxidation, UV damage, mould, decay & fungus Our Services Deck Staining & RestorationStaining & R Deck Repairs & Additionsk Repairs & Ad Fences & Power Washingces & Power For more details & FREE ESTIMATE call us today! (905) 630-0717 I focusrestoration.ca FALL SPECIAL: S AVE THE HS T