Bruce Johnson, realtor and salesperson with Wasaga Bay, Ontario’s Re/Max By The Bay Brokerage has been a strong supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network and brought in hundreds of realtors worldwide to support their children’s hospitals.

A heartbreaking journey

As his career began in 1997, Johnson signed up to be a Miracle Agent for the Children’s Miracle Network, donating a portion of every home sale to his local children’s hospital. Shortly after, he and his wife, Mary, learned that they were expecting their firstborn child.

Alyssa Rae was born on November 17, 1998, and was immediately rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at SickKids Hospital in Toronto with a rare condition known as omphalocele, where organs had grown outside of her body. Her condition was further exacerbated by an exposed heart and issues with her lungs and brain. After three weeks of fighting for her life, on Sunday, December 6, Alyssa passed away.

“We had her for 20 days, and that itself is a miracle. Without SickKids, that would not have happened,” shares Mary.

Mary and Johnson welcomed their second daughter, Holly, and youngest, Jocelyn. Both children also needed treatment from SickKids.

Turning grief into action: The birth of ‘Motorcycle for Miracles’

In 2013, a promise made during one of Holly’s eye surgeries at SickKids turned a planned father-daughter adventure into a fundraiser in memory of Alyssa known as “Motorcycle for Miracles.”

Fundraising began in Wasaga Beach and included the pair riding their motorcycle to Costa Rica to raise money for the Alyssa Rae Johnson Fund at SickKids, supporting high-priority needs in medical research, education and patient care — from stubborn cancers and involved heart conditions to rare diseases and more.

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Over the next six years, with the support of their whole family, Johnson and Holly took an additional two trips: Canada to Costa Rica was followed by Newfoundland to British Columbia and then the “Ends of the Earth” ride spanning the Americas — from the Northwest Territories to Argentina.

“These kids are the toughest human beings on earth. They really are. And they haven’t done anything to deserve to be in the hospitals,” says Johnson. “That’s the steel in our spines that kept us going through stuff that most people would stop for.”

60,000 kilometres for kids: Spreading hope across the Americas

Along their routes, Johnson and Holly met with local agents and brokerages at each stop, to speak with them about the impact of realtor-driven donations and raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network. They also encouraged realtors to start their own campaigns in support of local children’s hospitals.

In total, they rode 60,000 kilometres and raised $750,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network to support sick children everywhere.

In recognition of his worldwide impact, Johnson received a 2019 Good Neighbors Award from the National Association of Realtors in the United States (making him the only non-American recipient ever).

Following this, Johnson ventured on a final solo “Road to a Million” ride through Newfoundland and Labrador in 2022. He successfully raised $1 million for the Children’s Miracle Network — $865,000 of which went directly to the Alyssa Rae Johnson Fund at SickKids in Toronto.

Continuing the fight: Johnson’s promise despite his own battle

This past spring, the Johnsons again received devastating medical news: Bruce had non-operable, stage four lung cancer and his doctors didn’t know how much longer he had. He’s currently receiving targeted treatment to prolong his life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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While many in his position might slow down and take a step back from work and other commitments, Johnson has tirelessly continued to raise money and awareness of children dealing with severe health issues, despite his own prognosis.

“If I could, I think that I’d like to tell Alyssa about how awesome our Dad is,” says Holly. “I think that he deserves to know that she would be really proud of him and everything that he’s given for her memory.”

The final push to $1 million for Alyssa Rae

Johnson’s final goal is to see the Alyssa Rae Johnson Fund reach $1 million.

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“We are so fragile, and these places put us back together, put these kids back together, are magically trying to put me back together,” he shares. “Even if the drugs are failing me, those will be my last days because that’s something that I really think is meaningful to leave that legacy behind. For Alyssa. I promised her, I can’t and won’t forget her.”

Learn more and support Johnson and his cause here.

Photo: Realtorscare.ca

This year, Camp Choice BC brought together a group of realtors who volunteered their time and energy to make a lasting impact on the lives of at-risk youth. In six days, they immersed themselves in the camp experience, leading a series of empowering activities designed to build confidence, leadership and resilience among the participants.

A week of growth and adventure

The camp offered a wide range of activities that were both challenging and rewarding for the youth, including archery and horseback riding. Under the guidance of their realtor mentors, the youth learned to overcome initial fears and embrace the excitement of these activities.

One of the most transformative experiences of the camp was the high ropes course. This physically demanding challenge required the youth to confront their fears head-on, with the realtors offering support, encouragement and guidance throughout the journey.

Breaking through barriers

Another powerful activity was the board-breaking exercise, where youth were encouraged to write down things that were holding them back, whether it was fear, self-doubt or negative influences. With the support of their peers and mentors, they then physically broke through the boards, symbolizing their commitment to overcoming these barriers in their lives.

Tackling tough topics

The camp also provided important educational sessions on critical issues such as drug and alcohol use and self-harm. These sessions were designed to equip the youth with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions and understand the consequences of harmful behaviors. Realtors led discussions, offering a safe space for the youth to ask questions, share their experiences and seek support.

Building leaders for the future

The camp also featured classroom sessions focused on leadership development. Led by the realtors, these sessions emphasized the importance of communication, teamwork and problem-solving. Through interactive exercises and discussions, the youth explored what it means to be a leader and how they can apply these lessons in their communities.

As well, realtors shared their own experiences, offering insights into how the skills learned at camp could translate into real-world success.

A commitment to community

Facilitators John Patricelli, Phil Moore, Xyrina Gutierrez, Celia Chiu & Chelsea Wiseman

Phil Moore, the camp’s vice chair and mentor, notes that realtors’ involvement in Camp Choice BC is a testament to their deep commitment to giving back to the community. “By taking time out of their demanding careers to mentor and guide these young people, they are making a profound difference in their lives,” he highlights.

“The impact of their work extends far beyond the camp itself, as the lessons learned and the confidence gained will continue to influence these youth for years to come. The camp continues to be a place where young people can discover their potential, build lasting friendships and develop the skills they need to succeed.”

With over 40 per cent of women in Canada reporting their experience of violence at the hands of an intimate partner, and nearly all of those women suffering at least one brain injury as a result, British Columbia-based charity Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury Through Research (SOAR) is working to bring attention to this issue.

Grant of $75,000 to help the cause

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation (RLSF) is supporting their work with a grant of $75,000. The funds will be used to help launch a training program for women’s shelters across Canada, equipping front-line staff with the knowledge and skills they need to better support women who’ve experienced a brain injury from intimate partner violence.

“When we first heard the horrifying statistics on how many women were suffering a brain injury from intimate partner violence and learned how many shelter workers still didn’t know how to recognize or respond to it, we knew this was a project we had to support as part of our commitment to helping women and children find safety and healing from domestic abuse,” says Lisa Gibbs, executive director of RLSF.

Project will help create new, standardized best practices in identifying and supporting survivors at a shelter

Karen Mason, co-founder and executive director of SOAR, expresses how grateful the organization is to RLSF for supporting such impactful work. They can’t wait to get started.

“This project has the potential to form the basis for new, standardized best practices in identifying and supporting survivors at what is often their first point of contact after leaving an abusive relationship — a shelter — leading to better outcomes overall,” Mason adds.

Photo: RoyalLePageLeadingEdge.ca

On September 12, 2024, the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation (ORCF) is holding its 17th Motorcycle Ride for Charity.

With a mission to enable and empower realtors across Ontario to fundraise in support of shelter-related causes in the communities in which they live and work, ORCF funds registered charities that improve the quality of Ontarians’ lives by providing refuge, a haven or another type of protection from the effects of hunger, the elements, abuse, disabilities and illness.

The event

Participants will choose to ride one of two routes this September. At the end, they’ll meet to end their day together in Peterborough over dinner.

While the full itinerary is still coming, the Eastern and Western routes are:

• Ottawa — Smiths Falls — Kingston — Peterborough
• Kitchener — Barrie — Peterborough 

Previous years help but need still great

In 2023, ORCF granted out over $1.8 million dollars in funds to over 170 organizations to support individuals who need it the most. This included the Motorcycle Ride for Charity’s best year ever, when it raised approximately $49,000.

And the need is great. In Ontario:

• 45 per cent of tenant households spend 30 per cent or more of their total income on shelter — the highest rate in Canada.
• Food bank use has increased 42 per cent over the past three years and a third of those visitors are using this service for the first time.

Source: Association of Municipalities of Ontario

Goal for 2024

This year, ORCF has set an ambitious goal to raise $52,000, which it will use to support shelter-related causes in Ontario.

“In 2023, the Foundation made a major impact on shelter and food insecurity in Ontario by donating $1.8 million to over 170 charitable organizations. But the need is great, and we can do more,” Shannon Ketelaars, ORCF’s executive director, explains.

She notes that skyrocketing housing costs and food inflation are causing more households to choose between feeding their families or putting a roof over their heads. “Now more than ever, it’s important that our community stays connected and comes together to build awareness, raise much-needed funds and discuss the positive impact that realtors and our industry can make through the work of the Ontario Realtors Care Foundation,” expresses Ketelaars.

Get more information, register to ride or pledge a rider here.

Image: Ontario Realtors Care Foundation

May 16 was Moose Hide Campaign day and to date, over 5 million pins have been gifted that are creating conversations about gender-based violence. The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation donated $5,000 to the campaign to help fund moose hide pin production and distribution, and workshops for take K-12 students and teachers.

The Moose Hide Campaign started in British Columbia through an Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. It has grown nationwide with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, First Nations, governments, schools, colleges/universities, police forces and many other organizations committed to taking action.

Moose hide is associated with gentleness, warmth, comfort, hope and love and has been used for ceremonial purposes and clothing for generations. In the campaign, moose hide honours this relationship, maintaining traditional protocols and teachings of Indigenous Elders.

Pinning the square of moose hide or animal-free fabric on your lapel shows a commitment to honouring, respecting and protecting women and children and working to end violence against them.

Photo source: royallepageleadingedge.ca

Applications for the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) Realtor Community Foundation’s Community and Transformation grants, which support local housing and shelter initiatives, are open until June 28.

$150,000 in Community and Transformation grants to support community housing

Community grants fund major repairs or renovations to existing community housing or shelter supply. This year, $105,000 in total Community grants will be awarded.

Transformation grants fund minor renovations to existing infrastructure that will improve housing quality. This year, $45,000 in total Transformation grants will be awarded.

“Everyone deserves the safety and security of a home,” says Catherine Chow, chair of CREB Realtor Community Foundation. “Through our Community and Transformation grants, realtors are committed to supporting Calgarians by keeping them housed and improving housing quality through renovation and repair.

All eligible organizations are strongly encouraged to apply for these grants for extra support on their projects. We look forward to learning more about all the amazing, hard work being done in the community.”

$350,000 in Legacy grant funding to RMHC this year

The Foundation will also award $350,000 in Legacy grant funding to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) this year, making it the third installment of a three-year $1 million funding agreement to support an expansion project that will more than double the number of families RMHC can support.

“The positive impact we’re making year after year is just amazing,” says Jason Yule, CREB’s director of communications and governance.

“CREB realtors are deeply invested in making a difference in the area of housing and shelter, which is why this year we’re offering $500,000 in grant funding to support local non-profit organizations to create new housing options and sustain the quality of existing housing for those who need it most.”

This spring, Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate, together with the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society, joined a large crowd in Olds, Alberta to mark the groundbreaking of a new community emergency women’s shelter. 

Named in honour of a young local mother of twin boys who lost her life to family violence in 2021, Kirsten’s Place shelter will have six rooms and be the first emergency shelter for women in the county (located between Calgary and Red Deer).

“While there are Royal LePage offices from coast to coast generously supporting their local women’s shelters, it’s a very rare and special occurrence when a brokerage can be so heavily involved in building a new shelter from the ground up,” says Lisa Gibbs, executive director of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

The need for support ‘is huge’ and has grown since the pandemic

The need for services and support to help women fleeing intimate partner violence in Olds has risen since well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The need is huge. We have one outreach worker and one program worker and in 2023 they dealt with 212 clients in Mountain View County and had 48 people attend their programs,” says Joe Carignan, president of the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society.

Over $300,000 raised through Radio-thon for Shelter

Most of the $800,000 raised came from the community, with the Town of Olds donating some of the land for the shelter and the Alberta government contributing $125,000. Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate raised more than $300,000 through its annual Radio-thon for Shelter. 

“Having been fundraising to get this shelter built for the last six years, we are absolutely delighted to finally get to this day,” says Clare Dickie, owner/manager, Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate. “It’s so heartening to see all our hard work and the incredible generosity of our community begin to take shape before our eyes.” 

Photo: royallepageleadingedge.ca

On May 4, the fifth annual Jump in the Lake Challenge (JILC) was held, which raised over $25,000 for local food banks in Coboconk and Haliburton.

The event had participants jumping into the cold early May waters from their own docks or local piers to raise much-needed funds to battle hunger in the community.

“We continue to be amazed how our community has embraced what has now become a fun, annual event,” says JILC founder, Dean Michel. “When you combine brave individuals and generous donors, good things happen to make a difference in people’s lives”

Coboconk and Area Food Bank chairperson, Amy Alfredsson, who jumped into a frigid Balsam Lake herself, notes that the food bank would not exist without generous community support.

“What a generous and supportive community we live in,” Alfredsson, comments. “With more than $20,000 in cash and food donations collected and more still coming in, the JILC has provided the funds to pay for meat purchases for almost an entire year.”

She adds, “The funds raised and the food collected will go a very long way in feeding our CAFB families. Thank you for your participation in and donations made to the Jump in the Lake Challenge again this year.”

In its five years running, the JILC has raised over $175,000 for the local community.

Photo: Dean Michel dressed as a Jedi in honour of Star Wars Day

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation recently celebrated Desmond von Teichman, broker/owner of Royal LePage Locations North, with its most prestigious annual award: National Philanthropist of the Year. 

The award honours von Teichman for his philanthropic leadership, unwavering commitment to uplifting his team and his community through charitable efforts and his compassion and ongoing, generous dedication to the cause.

von Teichman expressed gratitude for the recognition, noting the collective efforts of the Royal LePage family in driving positive change: “Receiving this recognition was an extremely humbling moment. What I love about Royal LePage is how philanthropic the network is. When I found out I had received this amazing honour, my first reaction was feeling like an imposter. In a sea of so many worthy nominees and truly generous people, I was beyond proud to be acknowledged in this way,” he notes. “It was a very special day, indeed.”

Local and national efforts

von Teichman is deeply connected to supporting women and children fleeing intimate partner violence in the communities he serves by providing resources to local women’s shelters.

“The Shelter Foundation provides critical infrastructure to help us help those in our own backyards who are, most unfortunately, not safe in their homes. There is something truly inspiring about a real estate company that wants to ensure families can walk away from violence and abuse, and seek refuge at a shelter where they can then chart a new course,” von Teichman says.

“I am incredibly grateful that I do not have personal experience with intimate partner violence, and I am hopeful that the efforts of the Foundation can make this a reality for all families.”

He believes that direct involvement with local shelters is a personal investment in community welfare. Collaborating on various fundraisers and events, including the Collingwood Holiday Tour of Homes and Royal LePage Ski Day, von Teichman and his team ensure their local shelters have the resources needed to help women and children survive and thrive.

“We stay in touch year-round and want to work alongside them to help make our community a safer place. It would be easy to write a cheque once a year, but we believe that we can accomplish more when we work together,” he explains.

Education and prevention initiatives the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation funds nationally are also important for von Teichman. “We know that intimate partner violence is systemic, complex and often cyclical. While we cannot take our eyes off our local women’s shelters, we have to make sure we’re also seeing societal changes that help stop this senseless violence before it starts.” 

His advice: ‘Just start’

von Teichman embraces a culture of philanthropy within his brokerage and in his broader community by encouraging his team to participate in joint endeavours and celebrating each contribution and milestone.

The advice he offers those eager to make a difference? Just start, regardless of the scale. von Teichman believes every contribution counts, and collective action, no matter how big or small, has the power to make a significant difference in our communities.

The A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections (ABCHI) Canada team recently donated $6,500 to Make-A-Wish Canada, adding to over $36,000 donated to Canadian causes since 2015.

Make-A-Wish Canada grants wishes to children with critical illnesses to help bring joy and hope to an otherwise difficult situation.

“Make-A-Wish Canada provides ABCHI inspectors with a meaningful opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of children battling critical illnesses. Our support embodies our collective commitment to spreading joy and hope, inspiring us all to be part of something truly impactful,” explains Patrick Sharkey, home inspector, ABCHI Fredericton.

Contributions from inspections matched by ABCHI annually

This annual contribution comes from funds donated by every inspection completed nationwide from the previous year — through ABCHI’s Inspectors Care program — which is matched dollar for dollar by ABCHI Canada.

The company notes this goes above and beyond the local charity each franchise donates to as a way to give back on an ongoing basis to the local communities that support their businesses.

‘A fantastic cause for all ABCHI inspectors’

ABCHI says this very important cause that creates special memories for children facing tough times with their health really resonates with its inspectors across Canada.

“Supporting Make-A-Wish Canada is a fantastic cause for all ABCHI inspectors because it grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Not only does it provide joy and inspiration to these children and their families, but it also fosters a sense of community and goodwill among supporters.

The impact of granting a wish goes beyond the moment – it creates lasting memories and hope during challenging times. Supporting such a cause can bring a profound sense of fulfillment and pride to those involved,” says Stuart Websdale, home inspector, ABCHI Halton-Hamilton.