Over 400 Ray White Members, representing approximately 90 offices, hit the streets across New Zealand in this years annual Ronald McDonald House Street Appeal – helping to raise over $209,000 for the charity.
Ray White have a long-standing commitment to Ronald McDonald House (RMH) who provide a home away from home for families from all over New Zealand when their children require specialist medical treatment in another city. Since 2007 Ray White New Zealand Offices have been involved by partnering with RMH to help keep families together, and this year have stepped up their support of the charity by offering individual salesperson support partnership initiatives in addition to the long established office partnership opportunities. “This year too we took it upon ourselves to actively promote the Street Appeal to our members, and the broader community… with really positive results” says Carey Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Ray White New Zealand. “It was humbling to see our members’ collective commitment in supporting Ronald McDonald House, and indeed their local communities who benefit from the services RMH provide.”
Ray White members were out in force in their red RMH bibs at train and ferry stations, shopping centres, malls and on the streets across the country on Friday 6 June collecting for the charity. “We have some wonderful photos of the initiative that our members have shared with us” comments Carey Smith, and there were even a few famous faces making donations, as Ray White Half Moon Bay saw when Sir Peter Leitch popped in to make a donation.
In 2013 RMH took care of more families than ever before with 3,651 Kiwi families calling their Houses home throughout their children’s medical journey. – Ronald McDonald House will use the money raised from this years street appeal in programs across the country, with the funds going towards their $8million national annual operating cost. Dominique Cornille, Business Relationship Manager, RMH Auckland, comments that the funds raised in this years appeal were “significantly higher than last year – and, although the money has still been rolling in, figures indicate that donations are approximately 25% up on last year – with the most significant increase seen in the upper North Island – which, we are sure is representative of Ray White’s support… As a charity we would struggle to keep our doors open if it wasn’t for the kindness and generosity of the Ray White community.” says Dominique.
Wayne Howett, CEO of RMH, Auckland made the following statement in support of Ray White’s national support: “Thank you to the Ray White group for your efforts in making Ronald McDonald House’s 2014 Appeal Day a fundraising success. Our appeal day is all about the community coming together for our charity and we were overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from Ray White offices. Volunteer collectors, sausage sizzles, promotions in your office windows – you name it and Ray White were behind it! On the day it was just so encouraging to see the sea of red on the streets across New Zealand. Thank you to each and every one of you for getting behind our charity yet again– we couldn’t do it without you.”