Over the years, the folks at the RE/MAX Real Estate (Central) office in Calgary have made a significant contribution and impact on the Children’s Miracle Network.
Meghan Kociuba, Director, Partnerships, Community Initiatives and Events, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, said RE/MAX has been part of the Children’s Miracle Network for more than 30 years.
“All funds raised and donated by RE/MAX in all of Calgary and southern Alberta will come direct to the Alberta Children’s (Hospital). With RE/MAX Central, their agents and brokers support us through a variety of different ways. One of the main ways is their Miracle Home Program where a portion of each transaction is donated to the Children’s Miracle Network.”
Last year, more than $46,000 was raised through the program from the Central office.
“They have hit over a million dollars of support to the Alberta Children’s from their office alone over the years, cumulatively,” she said.
The Top 10 contributors to CMN from the Central office for 2023 are:
- Merli Rojas
- Tanya Eklund
- Marc Miiller
- Teri-Ann Begin
- Zehirr Saifeddine
- Doug McNaughton
- Gurpreet Virdi
- Leslie Kiss
- Nick Profeta
- Ranjeev Jaswal
“It’s inspiring to see the extent of leaders in the community that we have at RE/MAX Real Estate (Central)”, said David Lem, Broker/Manager, RE/MAX Real Estate (Central).
“We’ve been known for our collective successes on the production side for many years but what we haven’t shared as much is the contribution our associates and colleagues have dedicated themselves to great selfless causes such as the Children’s Miracle Networks, especially here in Calgary. I’m proud to point out that nearly 100 per cent of our 260 associates continue to regularly contribute to the CMN each year.”
Realtor Tanya Eklund, who has been with Central for more than 23 years, said she has supported CMN for more than two decades.
“I think it is kind of an under-funded organization. A lot of people maybe don’t think to donate to the Children’s Miracle Network. I think maybe there’s this idea that it’s already well-funded and I think that being a mother is also important to me,” said Eklund.
“I haven’t really ever had to use the Children’s Hospital but I know that if I had and it was an emergency that they would be there.”
Realtor Marc Miiller, who has been with Central for almost five years and is in his second year of being brokerage rep for the program, said he is always looking for opportunities to help people.
“People is kind of the most important part of any job I’ve had. My 25 years in the oilpatch I was a people-focused manager as opposed to a technical manager. So I’ve always been about kind of building teams and making lives better whether it’s with humour or helping or whatever,” he said.
“I felt that this was just another opportunity to use my spare time and my network to help people. I donate my time and donate money to this . . . The Alberta Children’s Hospital is phenomenal. It’s world class. If we can be doing things to help raise money for them, keeping families together, and helping these kids out, anything we can be doing to help people right now. Calgary is also a booming market compared to other places and I think this is just a way to give back. I’m always looking for a way to re-invest into the community. As a realtor, you’re working with all these people. There’s no better opportunity than that.”
Realtor Merli Rojas, who has been with Central first as assistant eight years ago then after she got her real estate licence six years ago, said she has always received so much from the Children’s Hospital.
“I have three boys and since I came here as an immigrant I always received the best attention for my boys. I wanted always to give back,” she said.
Her attachment to the Children’s is beyond simply donating. Rojas also volunteers with the Children’s. At Ronald McDonald House, she has made food for the families staying at the centre.
“For me children are the future. That’s the reason I support the Children’s. If they cannot have the attention and the medicine they need they cannot become men and women,” she said. “That’s my only reason to be honest.
“I don’t see why anyone would not give up a portion of their commissions to the Children’s Hospital.”
(Mario Toneguzzi is a veteran of the media industry for more than 40 years and named in 2021 a Top Ten Business Journalist in the world and only Canadian)
