\u201cThe Good Neighbor Awards represent a thriving culture of giving back, and each of our finalists have made a tremendous difference in their communities,\u201d says NAR President William E. Brown, broker-owner of Investment Real Estate in Oakland, Calif. \u201cWe congratulate this year\u2019s 10 finalists for their outstanding efforts to help make the world a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n From now until Oct. 2, the public will get the chance to learn more about these 10 practitioners and the diverse causes that drive them. Readers will also be able to cast votes for their favorite Good Neighbor finalist at www.realtor.com\/goodneighbor. The three who garner the most votes will earn grants\u2014one for $2,500 and two for $1,250 apiece\u2014for their charities.<\/p>\n The list of ten finalists will be narrowed down to five winners, who will be named on Oct. 3. Winners will receive a $10,000 grant and national media exposure for their charity, including a feature in the November\/December issue of REALTOR\u00ae Magazine. The winners will also receive travel expenses to the 2017 REALTORS\u00ae<\/sup>Conference & Expo in Chicago, where they will accept their awards at a presentation in front of thousands of their peers. The five remaining honorable mentions will each receive a $2,500 grant.<\/p>\n Here are REALTOR\u00ae Magazine\u2019s 2017 Good Neighbor Awards finalists:<\/p>\n Deborah Berg with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Birmingham, Mich., runs one of the country\u2019s largest rummage sales, which raises $225,000 per year to support people in need through 35 nonprofits. She works year-round to secure high-value donations, and then twice a year she manages a force of more than 700 volunteers during the week-long sale events.<\/p>\n JoAnn and Joseph Callaway of Those Callaways Real Estate in Scottsdale, Ariz., mobilize thousands of local real estate professionals to serve as volunteer bell ringers, collecting more than $250,000 in donations for\u00a0the Salvation Army. The couple also founded an innovative program that\u2019s raised $1 million\u00a0to support addiction recovery.<\/p>\n Sal Dimiceli, broker-owner of Lake Geneva Area Realty in Lake Geneva, Wis., founded The Time Is Now To Help, a\u00a0nonprofit supporting people living in poverty. He\u00a0personally\u00a0responds to requests for help, providing financial\u00a0counseling, emergency food assistance, transportation, child\u00a0care, and rental funds. Over the last 28 years, he\u2019s donated and raised nearly $17 million.<\/p>\n Lara Dolan with Keller Williams Realty Consultants in Roswell, Ga., is the\u00a0driving force behind ShamRockin\u2019 for a Cure, an annual event that has raised more than $2.5 million to help patients with cystic fibrosis. She uses her vast network of community connections to increase attendance and gain more sponsorships for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.<\/p>\n Bryson Garbett of Garbett Homes in Salt Lake City founded a nonprofit\u00a0that provides access to education to children in the rural Chiapas region of Mexico. Over 18 years, Foundation Escalera has helped more\u00a0than 100,000 students by building 177 classrooms and providing high school scholarships.<\/p>\n Howard \u201cHoddy\u201d Hanna, chairman of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in Pittsburgh, cofounded the Howard Hanna Children\u2019s Free Care Fund, which donates millions toward health care for children without insurance<\/a> coverage. Since 1987, Hanna and his company\u2019s 9,000 real estate professionals have raised $14 million.<\/p>\n Louise McLean of RE\/MAX Solutions in Merritt Island, Fla., founded the Space Coast Association of\u00a0REALTORS\u00ae Charitable Foundation to offer<\/a> food,\u00a0clothing,\u00a0school supplies, glasses, and\u00a0toiletries to the more than 2,200 homeless\u00a0children\u00a0in Brevard County.<\/p>\n Mony Nop of Mony Nop Real Estate in Livermore, Calif., created a nonprofit to encourage kids to set and achieve their goals by providing leadership training and scholarships. He draws on his own experience as a child fleeing the\u00a0Khmer Rouge in Cambodia to motivate thousands of middle and high school students to overcome their own challenges.<\/p>\n Donna Ting with Tri-Isle Realty & Development Co. in Wailuku, Hawaii, cofounded La\u2019akea, a residential and day program for developmentally disabled adults. She used her real estate skills to find funding<\/a> for and help build a community center,\u00a0a farm,\u00a0and store to help clients lead<\/a> more independent and meaningful lives.<\/p>\n Kay Wilson-Bolton of Century 21 Troop Real Estate in Santa Paula, Calif., founded Many Meals, which feeds up to 600 people every Wednesday. She also distributes 30,000\u00a0pounds\u00a0of\u00a0food per month\u00a0through\u00a0a food bank and, as an ordained chaplain, she runs a center behind her real estate office where she counsels people in need.<\/p>\n REALTOR\u00ae Magazine\u2019s Good Neighbor Awards is supported by primary sponsor realtor<\/a>.com\u00ae and Wells Fargo. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Realtors.org <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/realtormag.realtor.org\/sites\/realtormag.realtor.org\/files\/rmo_files\/images\/2017_aug\/aug17_GN_finalists.jpg\")
Ten finalists have been chosen for REALTOR\u00ae Magazine\u2019s 2017 Good Neighbor Awards, selfless real estate<\/a> professionals who have cumulatively raised more than $48 million for a variety of charitable causes. Now in its 18th year, the Good Neighbor Awards recognize members of the National Association of REALTORS\u00ae who have donated their time and passion to improve and enrich the lives of the people in their communities.<\/p>\n