Ray White offices in the Eastern Beaches area of Auckland exploded with colour on Friday 19th September as the six offices in the Mountfort-Baker group supported Loud Shirt Day to raise funds to provide cochlear implants to children with hearing difficulties.
Loud Shirt Day is the annual appeal of The Hearing House and the Southern Cochlear Implant Paediatric Programme. This year over 1700 New Zealand businesses, schools, clubs and individuals put on their loudest shirts to support deaf children with cochlear implants and hearing aids around the country and managed to raise over $200,000. The money will go towards The Hearing House and the Southern Cochlear Implant Paediatric Programme to provide auditory-verbal therapy and other specialised services to deaf kids and their families all over New Zealand.
Neil Baker, a director of the Mountfort-Baker group, made the suggestion to get involved in this year’s event. “It’s a bit of fun and an opportunity for the teams to come together for the day with a touch of the outrageous”, says Neil. “We charged team members $10 to enter the competition, and the Company matched any sums raised dollar-for-dollar”.
As a prize for the loudest shirt, company owner Bob Mountfort offered a property ad of the winner’s choice in the Eastern Property Press, together with another ad alongside it showing the winner in their ‘loud shirt’. After all entries were submitted, the winner was eventually chosen by Vicky Powell, who complies all the Mountfort-Baker group’s Property Press advertising. The definite winner was Michael Ellse from Ray White Half Moon Bay, who paraded in a very striking Elvis suit, and was even brave enough to wear it in public. “I saw a couple of ladies reverse their car to drive past for a second look” laughs Michael.
Overall, the Mountfort-Baker group raised almost $1,000 for the worthy appeal. “We were very pleased with the outcome”, says Neil Baker, “and are planning to make it an annual event”.