This season, over 30 charities across British Columbia’s Lower Mainland received a little extra holiday warmth thanks to the generosity of REALTORS®, volunteers and residents. The 14th Annual REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive overcame tough economic conditions, to reach near record-setting totals. REALTORS® from Squamish to Chilliwack collected 3,957 bags of blankets and warm winter clothing, representing only a six percent decrease from last year’s 4,215 bags.
“The final numbers are heart warming because in times like these, the instinct is to tighten the belt,” says Dave Watt, President of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. “The flipside of that view is that now is a more important time than ever to be generous, and our results show that people in the Lower Mainland agree.”
The Blanket Drive was slated to run from November 24th to December 1st. However, after just a few days, REALTORS® noticed a significant downturn in donations – by as much as 40 per cent in some areas. Thanks to the ‘final-hour’ media support including community newspaper coverage and radio and television interviews, REALTORS® decided to extend the collection as donations began to pile up. The Fraser Valley had their best Drive ever, surpassing their all-time high by more than 200 bags. Chilliwack, participating for only the second time, saw donations increase by 300 per cent to a total of 519 bags.
“One thing you can always count on with REALTORS® is when the going gets tough, we get going,” said Kelvin Neufeld, President of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “We pushed hard to get the word out to the media, our offices, our clients and we’re grateful it worked.”
Pictured above: Members of the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board show off the community’s response to the annual Blanket Drive. Recipients this year, as in the previous year is: Chilliwack Community Services and Ruth & Naomi’s Mission who distribute to those in need.
