News
5 Great Causes
August 21, 2012
| Commercial real estate pros put in countless hours in the office each week, but the industry's true passion is giving back. Today, we list five causes supported by the building biz. |
| 1. CANstruction |
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| Thanksgiving is synonymous with canned food drives, but the real estate leaders involved with CANstruction San Francisco take it a step further. Teams from real estate and architecture firms build art exhibits entirely out of cans (like the cable car above) which are on display for a week, this year Nov. 12 to 17. Once the competition ends, the sculptures are deconstructed and the cans are donated to the San Francisco Food Bank. Last year, more than 53,000 pounds of food (almost 113,000 meals) were raised in addition to nearly $20k. |
| 2. American Red Cross |
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| Blood drives for the American Red Cross are a staple of CRE charitable drives. The organization's local chapter assists in disaster relief with the Bay Area Chapter helping over 2,200 families in need in FY 2012 and training over 102,000 people in disaster preparedness over the same period. Want to volunteer? Click here. |
| 3. Habitat for Humanity |
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| What better way to give than by donating your expertise? Habitat for Humanity San Francisco is building 36 new homes at 7555 Mission St in Daly City (above). They’re looking for volunteers Wednesday through Saturday, 8:30am to 4:15pm. The Bay Area is one of the least affordable housing markets in the US, with less than 50% of households able to purchase homes; for more info on how to help with 7555 Mission, click here. (It’s expected to be completed by March 2013.) |
| 4. City of Hope |
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| One of the nation’s leading cancer centers, City of Hope has pioneered numerous breakthrough drugs. The Northern California Real Estate & Construction Council (REC) has raised more than $6M for City of Hope to date. Each spring, the REC hosts the Spirit of Life Award Celebration to honor a prominent member of the Bay Area real estate community for their philanthropic efforts. This year, the recipient was Millennium Partners’ Sean Jeffries. On Oct. 19, the group will host the inaugural Wheel to Wine bike ride to benefit City of Hope. To learn more, click here. |
| 5. Raphael House |
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| The British-American Business Council holds an annual Christmas Luncheon to benefit Raphael House, a local charity dedicated to helping at-risk children and their families achieve stable housing and financial independence. Last year, real estate firms such as Sperry Van Ness and Rockwood Capital helped the BABC raise $12k. This year’s luncheon will be on Friday, Dec. 14 at the Fairmount Hotel.Tickets go on sale Sept. 4. |
