Last Date Modified Wednesday, December 12, 2018

VANCOUVER, BC – With a combination of heightened media coverage and old fashioned Canadian spirit, 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.”

Initially, the numbers weren’t promising. The Blanket Drive was slated to run from November 24 to December 1.  However after just a few days, REALTORS® reported a significant downturn in donations – by as much as 40 per cent in some areas – and this after local charities had appealed for all the help they could get due to the economic downturn and dwindling supplies.

“One thing you can always count on with REALTORS® is when the going gets tough, we get going,” affirms 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.”

Thanks to the ‘final-hour’ media support including excellent community newspaper coverage and radio and television interviews, REALTORS® decided informally 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, only in its second year of participation, saw donations increase by 300 percent to a total of 519 bags. 

“Both the quality and volume were amazing this year!” says Trude Kafka, President of the Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board. “The public understands that when we give in difficult times we are always rewarded for our generosity.”

Over 30 local charities across the Lower Mainland benefit from the REALTORS® Care Blanket Drive. Donations are distributed for free and stay within the communities in which they are donated, or if the volumes are too large, are shared with the nearest community in greatest need.

 

For more information
In Greater Vancouver contact: Fiona Youatt, Communications Coordinator, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, Tel: 604-730-3068, email: fyouatt@rebgv.org

In Fraser Valley contact: Laurie Dawson, Communications Coordinator, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board,
Tel: 604-930-7657, email: laurie.dawson@fvreb.bc.ca

In Chilliwack & District contact: Joanne Reid, Communications Coordinator, Chilliwack & District Real Estate Board, Tel: 1-604-792-6795, email: joanner@telus.net