By Suzi Ford, Sales Representative with EXIT Inspired Real Estate in Middleburg, FL
Our brokerage has impacted our community by supporting the local MOMS for Sight, Inc.’s mission to fund sight-saving research and support families living with retinal degenerative diseases.
On October 22, 2022, the annual Black Ties & Blindfolds event was held at Margaritaville Beach Hotel in Jacksonville Beach, FL. The event was held during National Blindness Awareness Month and sold out for the first time! It is a signature event to help increase fundraising opportunities for the Spring Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) Jacksonville Area VisionWalk. The non-profit directors are also part of the leadership team of the Jacksonville Area Chapter for the FFB.
Black Ties & Blindfolds consisted of cocktails and appetizers, presentations of heartfelt thanks from John Corneille, Director of Legacy Giving of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and Kristin Smedley, Founder of Thriving Blind, followed by a dinner while blindfolded, and a silent auction.
The impact of this event was amazing. Several sponsors were present, and each had an opportunity to speak. When EXIT Inspired Real Estate presented as EXIT sponsor, Michael Wright, Broker/Owner, shared why EXIT is involved in the mission to cure blindness, how it directly impacts my family dealing with blindness, and how I take searching for a home to the next level by assisting our low vision and blind community with floor plans and home tips better geared for low- or no-vision daily living skills to positively impact their quality of life.
Jeanne Scholl, Broker/Owner, then spoke about the blessing of our Corporate Team/Family and the EXIT Realty Corp. International Spirit of EXIT initiative. The entire crowd was very impressed by the Spirit of EXIT program.
I surprised Michael and Jeanne, as well as all attendees, with a big check depicting the anticipated successful full match of $5,000 since the EXIT related net proceeds were over $6K. This put the total NET for the event at $15,000 with $11,000 being EXIT effort.
The Spirit of EXIT made such a positive impression on the attendees that another organization was inspired and has decided to pay it forward and do a similar matching program for its folks’ fundraising effort for the 2023 Black Ties & Blindfolds! Many hearts were touched that evening and an increased awareness was achieved of the mission and of the tremendous dedication of the FFB Chapter leadership team and MOMS for Sight’s Board of Directors.
A portion of every transaction fee received by EXIT Realty Corp. International is applied to its charitable fund. Through the Spirit of EXIT Dollar-for-Dollar Matching 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. EXIT Inspired Real Estate hoped to raise $5,000 which EXIT’s head office was proud to match, however they exceeded their goal and raised $6,045 for a total donation of $11,045 to MOMS For Sight, Inc.
