On Wednesday, July 5, 2017 REALTORS® from across Ontario will gather at the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) headquarters to start a 200+km journey to Sarnia to raise funds for shelter-related charities across the province.
One such REALTOR® is Jamie Edwards, a real estate veteran of 42 years who has been riding a motorcycle since 1967. He has missed only one REALTORS® Care Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity since its inception in 2006, and that’s because he had a heart attack.
“As a REALTOR® you spend your time helping clients buy or sell their homes, so to be able to fundraise for the REALTORS® Care Foundation — an organization that gives 100% of its proceeds back to local shelter-related causes — feels like a natural extension to my profession,” says Edwards. “Being able to give back while riding my Harley is an added bonus. I guess you can say that my heart is really in it.”
The Motorcycle Ride for Charity is set to begin at 8 a.m. with a REALTOR® rider kick-off breakfast at the RAHB office located on 505 York Boulevard. Local Ride sponsor Sturgess Cycle will also be on-site with their specialty bikes for motorcycle enthusiasts to check out.
“You definitely get a lot of looks when 30+ REALTORS® ride together on their motorcycles,” jokes Edwards. “But it’s so fulfilling to have such a wonderful group of like-minded professionals unite with the common goal of giving back to the community.”
In 2016, the REALTORS Care® Foundation returned $38,440 to the Hamilton-Burlington area alone. Recipients included Carpenter Hospice, Halton Women’s Place, March of Dimes, Mark Preece Family House, Mission Services, St. Peters at Chedoke, The Bridge, The Salvation Army and Wesley Urban Ministries.
This year’s fundraising goal is $25,000. To sponsor a REALTOR® participating in the REALTORS Care® Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity, visit https://realtorscareontario.ca/ride.
(Photo: Ontario REALTORS® participating in a past Motorcycle Ride for Charity at RAHB’s Headquarters located on 505 York Blvd., Hamilton)