Sarah Erasmus wins award
Erasmus Apparel founder named SAIT's Outstanding Young Alumnus this year
Karen K. Ho
Northern News Services
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Sarah Erasmus never expected to win an award from SAIT Polytechnic.
Erasmus apparel founder and co-owner Sarah Erasmus poses with her 2015 Outstanding Young Alumnus award from SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary. The entrepreneur graduated from the school's digital graphic communications program in 2010. - Karen K. Ho/NNSL photo
|
"I was surprised," the founder and co-owner of Erasmus Apparel said from her retail store and print shop on Franklin Ave. "There's hundreds of graduates a year and I only graduated five years ago."
Still, Erasmus was excited to find out she was nominated for the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in July, even though she wasn't allowed to tell people until the school's CEO, Dr. David G. Ross, told her the results a week later.
"So then I was just like, ugh, great so it's even for sure," she said with a laugh. "Sure enough, I got the call from Dr. Ross congratulating me."
Then Erasmus couldn't announce the win to family and friends until last month.
The award came with two trips down to Calgary. The first involved Erasmus meeting past alumni winners at a dinner, making a speech and networking. The second trip was the actual ceremony on Oct. 29, which Erasmus attended with her other two business partners, her aunt and uncle Shannon and Warren McLeod.
"It was a lot bigger of a deal than I ever anticipated," she said. "Sometimes it takes a while to wrap your head around a situation. When I got there it was like, 'Sweet, this is awesome.'"
Erasmus believes her award is extra recognition for how deeply her business is involved with the community of Yellowknife.
"We've donated over $10,000 to Stanton Hospital Foundation and KidsSport," she said. "And countless items to silent auctions. There's always a silent auction."
Erasmus has also donated an award to the Kalemi Dene School in Ndilo for the past eight years.
The company is set to celebrate its fifth anniversary in February next year. Erasmus said it has come a long way from when she first started making shirts in her parents' living room, to her first location on Kam Lake, to the current storefront which employs five to eight employees -- depending on the time of year.
"We owe everything to Yellowknife and to the North for supporting us," she said. "Without them we wouldn't be where we are today. That's why we like to give back all the time, even if it's a $50 donation. We want to continue to be here and make clothes."
