A modest life, much to give

The Gift: $2.9-million

The Cause: Saskatoon Community Foundation

The Reason: To finance five local charities.

Don Ewles has lived in Saskatoon for nearly 40 years but he doesn't know much about Vern Welker Men's Wear. Mr. Welker had run the small store, which featured a line of square dance clothing, for 22 years with his wife, Clara.

They sold the business in 1970 and retired, spending much of their time in California and doing volunteer work. Mr. Welker died in 1996 and his wife passed away last year.

By all accounts the couple, who were married for 63 years and had no children, led a modest life and kept a low profile. "I don't even remember [the store] being there," said Mr. Ewles, a grant manager at the Saskatoon Community Foundation.

Shortly after Ms. Welker died, Mr. Ewles got word that the couple had left a gift to the foundation. The organization was thrilled but didn't expected very much. When the cheque arrived a few weeks ago, Mr. Ewles was stunned. It was for $2.9-million.

"I certainly was surprised," he recalled. "I think we all were. It is, let's face it, the biggest single donation that the community foundation has ever received."

The foundation has no idea why the couple chose it and Mr. Ewles can't find any other significant donation by the Welkers anywhere else.

"I could speculate that they were interested in posterity and perpetuity and that's why [the foundation] was appealing," he said. "We only have [Ms. Welker's] will to go by."

The will specified that the money go toward creating a fund for five organizations: Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, the Saskatoon Community Clinic Foundation, St. Paul's Hospital Foundation and the Saskatoon YWCA. The foundation expects that by next year, the Vern and Clara Welker Fund will provide roughly $20,000 annually to each organization.

The gift "really does speak to the idea of an unknown donor," Mr. Ewles said. "You really don't know who's out there and who's interested until they come forward ... You never would have realized these people had so much to give."