Private property hosted the annual Community Awards in Real Estate (CARE) at a breakfast function in Durban North on 31 March 2015.
The CARE Awards, held in conjunction with IEASA recognise those in our industry who support the less fortunate in their communities, either through service and time, or via fund raising.
It was truly amazing to learn of the outstanding work estate agents and principals were putting in to help those in need.
The awards were split into 2 categories: Category A – Service to the community and Category B – Funds raised, and recognised the contribution of individual agents and agency offices or branches within these categories.
The overall winner chosen was David Hitch from Rawson Properties for his work with the Appletree Foundation. He walked away with a R35,000 cheque for his charity.
David and Jenny Hitch started the foundation in 2011 after hearing about an orphanage in Kwa-Nyuswa that had no food. Further investigation revealed that there were hundreds of children in need in the valley and creating awareness and obtaining funding were imperative. The Apple Tree Foundation was founded and registered for this purpose in 2011.
The foundation’s vision is to feed and nurture orphans in the area and provide them with a healthy and safe environment. They currently assist 13 places, consisting of 600 individuals with food, clothes and educational toys which have been donated.
Finalists and Winners
The nominees in Category A for individual agents were:
A1 Lesley Levin, Lesley Levin Properties
Charity – Berea Primary School Reading foundation
Since 2009, Lesley gives up her time to volunteer at Berea Primary School helping Grade 1 and Grade 3 children with weekly classes to help these kids with their reading
A1 – David Hitch, Rawson Property, Kloof
Charity is Appletree Foundation
David founded the foundation, who go into Kwa Nyuswa, near Botha’s Hill once a week to support creches, orphanages and single women who are supporting AIDS orphans, through various initiatives.
The nominees in Category A for agency offices or branches were:
A2 – Lee Ellis, Tyson Westville
Charity – Sondelani Creche in Chesterville
Lee and team dedicate lots of time and passion into this initiative. A vegetable garden is maintained weekly in order to supplement the kids meals with vegetables. In winter, agents from Tysons Westville distributed quilted blankets and hand knitted jerseys to crèches in Chesterville.
A2 – Vini Govender, Jaguar Residential Estate
Charity supported Phoenix Upliftment Project.
Vini and her team run a feeding scheme giving away loaves of bread to street children in the area.
A2 Pranil Maharaj, Prime Property Umhlanga
Charity – Little Hearts Foundation and Bayview Feeding Scheme.
They cater regularly for up to 600 people. Pranil and his office sponsor an orphanage in Stanger with bulk groceries feeding up to 300 children.
Category B (funds raised by Estate agency offices)
B2 – Grant Gavin RE/MAX Panache
RE/MAX supports Red Cross Children’s Hospital, where they raised R30,000 for the year. RE/MAX Panache in KZN has supported the Reach for a Dream Foundation for the last 8 years. The office raised R70,000 in the past year through several events including a Barnyard fundraising event, the annual quiz night, annual slipper day, Reach for a Dream Santa Shoebox drive and the Queen for a Day initiative whereby sick young children have an outing from the hospital where they are pampered and treated like a queen for a day.
RE/MAX Panache also support a number of other charity initiatives.
B2 Jenny Swanson, Harcourts
The Harcourt foundation supports various charities nationwide. In particular “Operation Smile” which treats children suffering from cleft lips or cleft palates. They donated R25,000 this year.
They also raised funds for:
ECR Toy Story
The Coastal Horse Care Unit
Angels Care Centre in Howick (Education for the underprivileged)
The winners of the various categories each received a R1,000 cheque for their chosen charity.
The winners were:
A1 Category Winner –David Hitch, Rawson Properties – Appletree Foundation
A2 Category Winner –Lee Ellis, Tyson Westville – Sondelani Creche
B2 Category Winner –Grant Gavin, RE/MAX Panache Reach for a Dream
Due to the exceptional entrants in the A1 category, and additional wildcard winner was chosen and this was:
Lesley Levin, Lesley Levin Properties - Berea Primary School Reading Foundation
Huge congratulation to all the entrants and award winners for their exceptional work. Private Property salutes you.