MADISON, N.J., April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — ERA Real Estate, a leading global real estate franchisor, recently announced its latest milestone in the ERA MDA Summer Camp Challenge. Last year at the brand’s annual International Business Conference, president and CEO Charlie Young challenged the organization to rally together to send 1,000 children with muscular diseases to a Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp over the next three years. Now, just one year in, ERA‘s community has reached 67 percent of its goal.
"When introducing the challenge to our enthusiastic network of real estate professionals last year, I encouraged them to pledge based on number of children they would like to send to camp, as opposed to a dollar amount," reflected Young. "The response has been exceptional. Not only have we reached 67 percent of our pledge goal – or 673 kids."
Dedication to community is at the core of ERA Real Estate’s mission, and ERA brokers and agents have formed close relationships with MDA Goodwill Ambassadors and their families within their own communities. Thus, it was natural for brokerages from coast to coast to take a grassroots approach to fundraising – hosting events such as carnivals, golf tournaments, art shows and countless more. At this week’s ERA conference, team members participated in a "Riber Run and Dance Party" fundraiser for MDA, in honor of the late Jeff Riber Sr., raising more than $25,000. Riber was a long-standing and well-respected member of the ERA management team, and an avid runner and dance lover, who passed away last year.
"Our fundraising momentum is so great that, at our 2016 International Business Conference last week, I challenged our team members to meet 100 percent of the pledge goal in two years rather than three," Young explained. "We are not just sending kids to camp. We are giving them the opportunity to enjoy new experiences, make new friends, discover their strengths and passions, and build the confidence to achieve their goals."
MDA Summer Camps offer the amenities and activities of a traditional summer camp, but are designed to meet the unique physical needs of children living with muscle diseases. For many children living with these afflictions, camp is considered by them to be the best week of the year.
Over the past 35 years, ERA Real Estate has raised nearly $35 million for MDA. In 2014, ERA introduced a new branding campaign designed to energize the network, and simultaneously, a renewed dedication to the cause. Recently, ERA has been recognized for its ERA MDA Summer Camp Challenge by the PR News CSR Awards and the Ragan Communications CSR Employee Communications awards.
About ERA Real Estate
ERA Real Estate is an innovative franchising leader in the residential real estate industry with more than 40 years of experience in developing consumer-oriented products and services. The ERA network includes approximately 36,000 brokers and sales associates and approximately 2,350 offices throughout the United States and 33 countries and territories. Each office is independently owned and operated. ERA Real Estate is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services.
About MDA
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world’s leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to saving and improving the lives of people with muscle disease, including muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research to find treatments and cures; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement. Visit mda.org and follow us at facebook.com/MDAnational and @MDAnews.
Media Contact:
Melissa Drake
973-407-7904
melissa.drake@era.com
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SOURCE ERA Real Estate
