January 11, 2007
- For Immediate Release –
Cupertino, CA - Silicon Valley Association of Realtors® (SILVAR) Realtors and affiliates donated a total of $236,205 to youth, the homeless and low-income individuals and families in Silicon Valley during 2006.
The Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the local trade association, donated $91,205 in 2006 to youth and to different non-profit organizations that help less fortunate individuals and families in the communities they service. The Charitable Foundation is a trust which makes grants available to organizations from donations by its REALTOR® and affiliate members and friends. SILVAR Realtors and affiliates are committed to the welfare and prosperity of the communities where they live and work, and through their charitable contributions and member involvement, strive to help create more productive and enriched communities.
2006 beneficiaries included: Achievekids, The Art of Yoga Project, Child Advocates, City Of Mountain View Public Library, Community Association for Rehabilitation, Community Health Awareness Council, Cupertino Community Services, Cupertino Edu-cational Endowment Foundation, Design Response, EMQ- Children & Family Services- Eastfield Ming Quong, Inc., Family Connections, Foundation For a College Education, Friends for Youth, Future Families, Housing Industry Foundation, JustREAD, Los Altos High School Main Street Singers, The Morgan Center, Music For Minors, Inc., MVLA Community Scholars, My New Red Shoes, Pacific Autism Center, Project Read- Califor-nia Literacy Campaign, Operation Reindeer, Partners for New Generations, Peninsula Association for Retarded Children & Adults (Parca), Rebuilding Together Peninsula, Re-building Together Silicon Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank, Shelter Network, Sunny-vale Community Services, Sunnyvale School District Education Foundation, Support Network for Battered Women, YES Reading, Young Audiences of Northern California and Youth Community Services.
SILVAR also dedicates scholarship money to help youth move forward with their educa-tional goals. The Charitable Foundation's annual Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding graduating seniors from schools in the Silicon Valley communities. The program is a way Realtors and affiliates thank the teachers, students, administrators and school board members who have made the region's schools the best in the nation. In 2006, 18 high school seniors were each presented with a $1,000 scholarship grant upon graduation.
Donations by the Charitable Foundation have been made possible, in part, by a sponsor-ship from the Heritage Bank of Commerce.
The SILVAR Charitable Foundation raises all of its funds from local Realtors and affili-ates. Whether through one-time donations or participation in one of the Foundation's many fundraising events, Realtors and affiliates have a myriad of opportunities to give back to their communities. A large portion of money raised each year comes from SIL-VAR's Annual Charity Golf Tournament, which was held in July last year and raised over $37,000
"The real estate industry is about building community," said 2006 Foundation President Dennis Young, who is with RSM McGladrey in Mountain View and a SILVAR affiliate member. "Realtors understand the importance housing and schools play in the develop-ment of that community and work to increase access to education and ensure that all members of our community can achieve the American dream of homeownership"
Young added, "We're pleased to help the communities. We're pleased to be able to make these contributions to these organizations. We thank Heritage Bank of Commerce and we thank all our members who have contributed to the Charitable Foundation. Without them we would not be able to show that Realtors really do care about their communities."
This year's 2007 Foundation Board includes Cindy Luedtke (First Republic Bank), president; Cammie Brodie (Diversified Capital), president-elect; Polly Neumann (Coldwell Banker), treasurer; and board directors: David Bergman (Intero Real Estate), Brian Bernasconi (Alain Pinel Realtors), Cammie Brodie, (Diversified Capital), Brian Chancellor (Alain Pinel Realtors), Greg Ebejer (Alain Pinel Realtors), Judy Ellis (Alain Pinel Realtors), Joanne Fraser (Coldwell Banker), Jean Gilsing (Apple Realty), Eileen Giorgi (Alain Pinel Realtors), Lisa Keith (Red Hawk Realty), Jim Magill (Village Square Realty), Christopher Ray (Sereno Group) and Dennis Young (RSM McGladrey). Realtors Arvada Darnell (Coldwell Banker), Deanna Tarr (Coldwell Banker) and Connie Osborne, (Coldwell Banker) completed their terms as Foundation board directors at the end of 2006.
In addition to the grants presented by SILVAR's Charitable Foundation, SILVAR Realtors and affiliates gave $75,000 to the Housing Industry Foundation (HIF) from funds raised during the association's annual Home for the Holidays charity event. Members of SILVAR's five districts also gave $70,000 to different charities in their respective communities, including $60,000 to the Palo Alto Unified School District, as part of the annual Palo Alto Realtors® Campaign for Partners in Education (PIE).
In addition to their monetary donations, SILVAR Realtors give back to their communities by volunteering their time through programs such as the Realtor Service Volunteer Pro-gram (RSVP), which sends Realtors into the homes of senior citizens, including those who are homebound, to assist them with household tasks like washing windows, cleaning gutters, changing smoke detector batteries, repairing faucets, strapping water heaters, and planting flowers. SILVAR Realtors developed the successful RSVP format that has been successfully duplicated in other California communities as well as other states.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.