Little was I to know what was about to unfold:
To see more about Don, check out Wikipedia.
First I contacted Donald and this is what he had to say to me: "I have never asked a
client to put money into a project I did not invest in myself. I had some failures
a long time ago, but I've always invested more than anyone else in
any project. I've had far more successes".
In a recent article a newspaper criticised Don for donating money, this was twisted by one of the local rags as being bad, for the
true story see the blogs on the The Power/ Port Adelaide website. Amongst others,
Mark Haysman, the CEO of the Port Adelaide football club gave a positive report.
"In 1980 I assisted the New Hebrides in their application to the United Nations
for independence, which was achieved in May of that year as Vanuatu I've subsequently
worked with communities and villages in Vanuatu, setting up Micro enterprise projects
for villages and communities to own their own copra dryer, so that each village,
or community, could earn income in the process of converting coconut flesh to copra
an export product. I've been actively involved in many projects throughout the Pacific
over the last thirty years building relationships and assisting with development
of businesses and other community projects. A business I used to own and operate
in PNG COPM is still the second largest coconut oil exporter in PNG".
(See Here 1. See Here 2. See Here 3.
)
So, you'd think that would be enough. But as I delved further, I found that Don
was far underestimating all of this. There are some highly reputable people prepared
to endorse Don. Now this doesn't happen lightly in high corporate arenas, so this
in itself gives great weight to what's being said.
To be honest, I can't even describe all of Don's philanthropic
activities. But what can be said is that he's gone way beyond the call of duty in
helping others.
Don didn't tell me anything of his philanthropic nature, I had
to pry in to it, I had to find out who to talk to and upon talking to people it
opened up into areas I had no idea about.
Personally, I think the media should be ashamed of the fact that
Don comes to the rescue, (IE: The Power) and then gets dumped on for it. And why
report on Don anyway? In one Newspaper Article, the company the report is about,
Don does not have any control over financial or corporate the decisions whatsoever.
What is with that??
From what little I found out, I discovered that Don has helped charities, community
groups, and individuals, not only locally, but around the world, to the tune of
Millions of dollars. Let's face it, only someone with a good heart does things like
this.
"A handful of pineseed will cover mountains with the green majesty of forests.
I too will set my face to the wind and throw my handful of seed on high."
~Fiona Macleod
From what little I found out, I discovered that Don has helped charities, community
groups, and individuals, not only locally, but around the world, to the tune of
Millions of dollars. Let's face it, only someone with a good heart does things like
this.
I know Don personally and he said to me that he loves helping people, and the way
that Dee and he communicated that was genuine. At that time I had no idea how
serious he was about that until I bothered to talk to some of the people he has
helped.
Everything, from building hospitals, to helping homeless people, Don has shown that
he is a man that acts rather than talks, even to inviting them to stay with him
and his family until they are back on their feet.
The largest community radio station in South Australia, was given
new facilities, thanks to Don. The second largest coconut
oil producer in the South Pacific exists thanks to Don's help.
He provides micro-lending to impoverished nations, which find it difficult to get
help from Western nations. Try asking a bank to do that!
I learnt that on one occasion a staff member of the Coconut Mill died in a non-work
related injury. Don supported the family by purchasing them
a house.
How many bosses would do that for an employee?
I'll be providing more and more supporting evidence of the things I'm saying here.