Every year, real estate professionals Valleywide drop their listings and pick up the cause of children in need.
On April 8, at Scottsdale Stadium, the Scottsdale Active 20/30 Club will host Brokers for Kids and Agents Benefiting Children, a charity Olympiad benefitting two non-profits, Boys Hope Girls Hope and The Care Fund.
Boys Hope Girls Hope provides scholarships to underprivileged children in community- and residency-based programs, ensuring a start toward a college education. The Care Fund offers mortgage, rent and housing-expenses relief as well as other resources during a child’s extended health crisis.
Scottsdale Active 20/30 Club is a volunteer organization of 50 men who provide young adults with an opportunity for personal growth, friendships and leadership development, while improving the quality of life for underserved children. The club also coordinates the NiteFlite fundraiser each fall.
The competition
In 2016, approximately 60 teams of commercial brokers (Brokers for Kids) and residential real estate firms (Agents Benefiting Children) will participate in multiple competitions. They’ll make basketball free throws, toss footballs and also enter baggo and bocce ball events. A team winner becomes Olympiad champion.
“The Brokers for Kids/Agents Benefiting Children event is a way for the commercial and residential industries to come together and fund-raise for children’s charities in Arizona,” said Jose Leon, a Scottsdale-based personal injury attorney and this year’s chairman. Brokers for Kids was founded in 1999 and Agents Benefitting Kids in 2014.
“At the moment, we have 34 teams confirmed and expect to have 40 teams representing commercial brokerage firms,” said Scott Ellsworth, first vice president in the Phoenix office of SRS Real Estate Partners and a club member.
Of these, 17 teams have a presence in the West Valley, such as CBRE, led by Patrick Boyle; Cresa Partners, Taylor Hick; Cushman & Wakefield, Jennifer Udd and Brad Douglass; Jones, Lang, LaSalle, Trevor Pratt; and others.
Still, the competition needs additional residential real estate teams, said Tyler Truscio, Keller Williams Realty Phoenix Team and a club member.
“So far, we have 22 teams confirmed and fundraising for the Agents Benefiting Children side of the event, but we could use more from the West Valley,” he said.
Representing the area are teams from Solutions Real Estate, Century 21 Arizona Foothills, Mojica & Associates, and other agents who have blended to form teams of multiple residential brokerages.
Fundraising
“The residential side of our fund-raising event is three years old,” he said. “At the moment we are on a growth phase. We would also love to have agents representing the whole Valley and at some point Arizona as a whole.”
To help raise money, brokers and agents sell raffle tickets for an opportunity to win a Toyota provided by the Valley Toyota Dealers.
“Other ways in which they can fund-raise is by selling sponsorships to allow companies to target their marketing on the commercial brokerages and residential agents,” Leon said.
He’s been involved with the Scottsdale Active 20/30 Club for almost four years.
“I’ve had the opportunity to see this event grow and make a big difference in the budgets of children charities in Arizona,” he said.
Last year, the event raised more than $358,000, with the charity partners receiving 50 percent of the proceeds. More than $3 million has been raised since the inception of the event. At the end of each fiscal year, the club holds a gifting meeting to disburse checks to children charities.
“The winning team is allowed to direct 20 percent of the proceeds from their respective event to go toward a qualified charity of their choice,” Leon said. “This gives the participating teams an extra incentive to be the top fundraiser for our event.”
The remaining funds raised pay production costs.
Giving back
Every year, the participants circle their calendars.
“Our industry is full of so many caring, passionate people who give back to the community,” Truscio said. “This is another opportunity to not only give back but also serves as an effective networking activity for the participants.”
Said Ellsworth, an Arizona State University alumnus who has been involved with the 20/30 Club for two years: “Being a part of Scottsdale 20/30 Club and being a captain for Brokers for Kids is important to me because the event has a tangible impact on the kids in our community.
“I recently received a card from Jennifer, a Boys Hope Girls Hope scholar, that said she would be the first in her family to be able to attend college –– and there is something extremely rewarding about helping to give someone that chance.”
Although the public cannot attend, tickets can be purchased to win the 2016 Toyota. To do this, to inquire about entering a team and for more information on Brokers for Kids, Agents Benefitting Children and the Scottsdale Active 20/30 Club, see scottsdale2030.org.