KWAR REALTORS® ring in new year with 21st annual Kick Off

On Friday, January 17th, the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® held its 21st annual Kick Off and Dinner Dance.  What a party from start to finish! (View all the Photos)

The occasion was a chance to celebrate some long term milestone achievements of KWAR members, thank our retiring directors, recognize the role that REALTORS® play in the community, and continue our tradition of supporting our local Food Bank.

We are delighted to announce that as a result of the Kick Off, $5,130 will be donated to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

“It was a wonderful evening,” said Lynn Bebenek President of the KWAR. “I felt there was a genuine sense of camaraderie in the room, as members were recognized for their milestones.”

The KWAR was honored to have several of the distinguished leaders from some of our neighbouring associations join us, as well as elected representatives from our regional, municipal and federal government.

A special thanks to our corporate partners and friends who attended: The Mobile Mortgage Specialists of RBC Royal Bank, Waterloo Region Record, Homes Plus, Hawksview Homes, Scotiabank, Touchbase, Canadian Home Inspection Services and Victor Hussein Law Office.

This year as part of the event we took the opportunity to present a combined total of $14,000 to two fantastic local charities receiving funds from our 2013 round of REALTORS® Care Foundation (RCF) Grants. The RCF acts on behalf of Ontario REALTORS® in funding shelter-related charities across the province. The KWAR is proud to support the foundation through the Every REALTOR® Campaign.

Mary’s Place, which is YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo’s 60-bed emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness, received $7000, as did Lutherwood’s Safe Haven Shelter which offers youth in our region a safe alternative to living on the streets.

One of the more memorable moments of the evening was when Gaye Males was presented with the KWAR Volunteer Award. In accepting her honour Gaye spoke about both the fun and unglamorous sides of volunteering, and assured us of her ongoing commitment when she said: “I will continue to enjoy the camaraderie of my peers and associates while doing these events, to learn more about their lives outside of real estate, to get different opinions, to improve our image in the community.”

When the formalities were over, the Dave Murphy Band had just about everyone up on the dance floor.

Commenting on the event, Bill Duce, Executive Officer of the KWAR said: “One thing our long term recipients can testify to is the impact that technology has had in depersonalizing some aspects of the real estate transaction. Continuing with traditions such as the Kick Off is a tremendous opportunity for our members to relax, have some fun, give back to our community and enjoy some good old fashioned face time with one another. Maintaining these social interactions is important to many of our members and helps foster the cooperative nature of our MLS® System.”