SANCTUARY | SANCTUARY FOR KIDS - NEXT GENERATION NEPAL: Amanda Tapping: Sci-Fi Icon and NGN Supporter
By Larry Closs
As the mysterious Dr. Helen Magnus in the hit Syfy series “Sanctuary,” Amanda Tapping portrays a 158-year-old scientist who tracks Abnormals—humans and creatures with special powers—and offers safe haven in exchange for permission to study them. Immediately following up on her 12-year turn as the brilliant Air Force Colonel Samantha Carter in “Stargate SG-1” and various spinoffs, Tapping has achieved an unlikely double-play—creating two back-to-back iconic sci-fi characters. Add in memorable spots on “The X-Files,” “Millennium” and “The Outer Limits,” as well as producer and director credits, and it’s easy to see why Tapping is renowned as both the Queen of Sci-Fi and the Hardest Working Woman in Sci-Fi.
But Tapping works just as hard off the set as on, leveraging her fame to extend the compassion of Dr. Magnus to those in need in real-life. In 2009, she founded Sanctuary for Kids with “Sanctuary” creator and co-executive producer Damien Kindler and teacher and social worker Jill Bodie. Sanctuary for Kids, or S4K, is dedicated to helping children in crisis around the world, raising money through online auctions of “Sanctuary” props and set tours as well as personal appearances. S4K distributes funds to small nonprofits and charities, including Next Generation Nepal, in amounts that will have a significant impact.
In conversation, Tapping is thoughtful, gracious and very funny, best summed up in her own Twitter bio: “Mama, wife, actress, director, producer, activist and general goofball” who lives in “Vangroovy, B.C.” NGN caught up with her to discuss the inspiration for S4K, what sci-fi fans and humanitarians have in common, secrets of new "Sanctuary" episodes, the future of Magnus’s love life and the very special sci-fi guest star she’s hoping to land. New episodes of “Sanctuary” premiere April 15 at 10 p.m. ET on Syfy...
... Q: How did the idea for Sanctuary for Kids originate?
Amanda Tapping: "The financial crisis precipitated it. We read so many articles about small charities that were being completely obliterated and larger charities having to fight for donations because people just weren’t donating as much. So we decided to form an organization that spoke to the need of really small charities with low operating costs—where a small amount of money makes a huge amount of difference. We made that our mandate, and we focused on organizations that assist children because Jill and I are both moms and realize the importance of protecting this generation.
It took us about a year to set it up because we did a ton of research on how nonprofits set their goals and intentions. When we launched we had no idea how well it would work out for us. We hoped to raise $100,000 in donations the first year and we raised $170,000, thanks, in large part, to the generosity and social awareness of sci-fi fans. Our first donation went to Watari, a local Vancouver organization that helps homeless teens transition to independence by providing support, education and vocational training. And a hundred percent of our donation went exactly where it needed to go—on the ground—which, we discovered, rarely happens with donations to nonprofits due to the costs of running the organization."
Q: You were able to do that because you and your colleagues cover the administrative costs of S4K.
AT: "Yes. We cover all the administrative costs, legal fees and banking fees. So, if we raise a dollar, we’re able to give a dollar..."
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