WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 4, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Realtors® are leaders in their communities. They help people achieve the dream of homeownership, while also volunteering their time and support to improve the lives of those less fortunate. The National Association of Realtors® recognizes Realtors® who dedicate themselves to volunteer service through REALTOR® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Awards, which is currently accepting applications.
This year marks the 14th annual Good Neighbor Awards. Five winners will be announced in the November/December issue of REALTOR® Magazine. Each winner will be recognized at the 2013 REALTORSÒ Conference & Expo in San Francisco this November and will receive a $10,000 grant for his or her charity. Winners will also receive travel expenses to the conference and national and local media exposure for their cause. In addition to the winners, five honorable mentions will each receive a $2,500 grant.
“Realtors® value service and will go the extra mile to improve the communities in which they live,” said NAR President Gary Thomas, broker-owner of Evergreen Realty, in Villa Park, Calif. “The Good Neighbor Award program is significant because it demonstrates the dedication and passion Realtors® have for helping those in need. It also reminds us that Realtors® build communities in many different ways around the world.”
Last year’s Good Neighbor Award winners contributed a combined total of more than 8,000 hours to their causes and drew a standing ovation from thousands of Realtors® and guests during the conference’s general session in Orlando. The 2012 winners were Rocco “Rocky” Balsamo, Long & Foster, Inc., Princeton Junction, N.J., for Center for FaithJustice; Michael Campbell, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Tucson, Ariz., for The Hearth Foundation; Regina “Ginger” Dowdle, Dixie Land Inc., and Sunrise Realty, Statesville, N.C., for the Shepherd’s Watch Ministries; Ortrud “Trudy” Harsh, Long & Foster, Fairfax, Va., for The Brain Foundation; and Sally Rudloff, Kane & Associates, Alameda, Calif., for Alameda Boys & Girls Club.
Previous Good Neighbor Award winners say their charities benefited from increased public exposure that resulted from winning the Good Neighbor Award. “It’s all about doing the right thing and helping people who would not otherwise be able to care for themselves,” said 2012 Good Neighbor Award winner Rocky Balsamo, who won for his work with the Center for FaithJustice, which facilitates young people volunteering in the community. “This past summer, we witnessed transformations, big and small, in more than 900 students. We are receiving more and more calls from people who want to donate. Such an impact wouldn’t have been possible without the Good Neighbor Award.”
Good Neighbor Award entries must be received by Monday, May 20, 2013. For more details and a nomination form, call 800/ 874-6500 or visit www.REALTOR.org/gna.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Media Contact:
Sara Geimer / 312/329-8296
