By Rob McGuffey, Management Assistant with EXIT Realty Crutcher, Louisville, KY
I’m happy to report that the charity event supporting Backpack Buddies was a success. Blessings in a Backpack is a program that provides a discreet way for children to have food to eat during the weekend and is fully funded by private donations.
Over the course of several months, our agents participated in multiple ways. Agents were challenged to give back at closings, which many did. We also provided them with a flyer to include in their closing folder to promote their donation and invite their client, or the cross-sale agent, to participate. Agents promoted this at outside branding events such as the local high school basketball games and the Stave Fest, which is a festival celebrating the bourbon heritage of the area. At some point every event we had contained an element of this fundraiser.
We promoted it at our agent networking events. We invited agents from other brokerages to celebrate success with us and, with the help of a local singer, we asked attendees to help us give back. Our client appreciation day at the Juniper Hills swimming pool was a great success for the event. We created a ticket for agents to provide to their guests with a QR code for them to register their attendance that made them eligible to win door prizes while promoting the charity.
Internally, we provided a fundraising meter to keep our 3 locations in a healthy competition to stay motivated. This was even added to the Stave Fest booth as a way to grab some attention.
This was a great effort by the brokerage and agents who worked hard to promote it. This event fit perfectly into our motto… “Real estate is what we do; families are why we do it!” Families involved with the food purchasing and packing will know about our impact on Backpack Buddies, and hundreds of kids will receive this much needed aid each week.
“This charity fills one of the most basic needs for children by providing food for the weekend. We want to help make sure that no child in our community has to wonder when they will eat again. Blessings In a Backpack also offers us an opportunity to focus our donations on schools local to us and will provide ways for agents to volunteer in the process,” said Cindy Crutcher, Broker/ Owner of EXIT Realty Crutcher.
A portion of every transaction fee received by EXIT Realty Corp. International is applied to its charitable fund. Through the Spirit of EXIT Charitable Program, EXIT offices and associates can raise money for local, approved, registered charities and apply to EXIT’s head office to have those funds matched from the company’s pool of funds. The associates at the three EXIT Realty Crutcher offices hoped to raise $2,000, which EXIT’s head office was proud to match, however they exceeded their goal and instead raised $3,000 for a total donation of $5,000 to Blessings in a Backpack.
“Thank you very much for your generous donation. Today, over 80,000 kids in Louisville are food-insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from. Whether you see it or not, these hungry kids live in your city, your school district, and your neighborhood. With your support, we’re changing that,” said Kim Holsclaw, Managing Director, and Erin Kerr, Chief Executive Officer, Blessings in a Backpack.
