RE/MAX Foundation's Toy and Book Collection kicks off

Setting its place as an annual fixture on the RE/MAX calendar, the RE/MAX Foundation is once again running their national Toy and Book Collection from 1 December up until 30 January 2016.

“Through the RE/MAX Foundation, the Toy and Book Collection aims to uplift underprivileged children in the community who may not have received anything this Christmas. As a brand, we want to have a positive influence within the communities in which we operate and make a difference where it is needed,” says Goslett.

This is according to Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa and director of the RE/MAX Foundation, who says with assistance from the public, the foundation aims to build on the success of the previous two years and spread the festive joy to even more underprivileged children around the country.

“It is often easy to take what we have for granted, however, there are so many children around the country who will go without this Christmas. The festive season is an ideal time to reflect and give back to those in need,” he says.

“Through the RE/MAX Foundation, the Toy and Book Collection aims to uplift underprivileged children in the community who may not have received anything this Christmas. As a brand, we want to have a positive influence within the communities in which we operate and make a difference where it is needed.”

The goal of the RE/MAX Foundation is to help those who are not always able to help themselves, he says.

Goslett says as with last year, the campaign will be run over a two month period to ensure that as many children benefit from the initiative as possible.

“When the campaign was initially launched it ran over the month of December, however, in order to maximise the impact of the initiative the period was extended to 30 January, which is also the day RE/MAX was founded in the US 42 years ago,” he says.

“Commemorating the special day, the donated toys and books will be handed over to the various charities, crèches and orphanages.”

Goslett says while the Foundation is supported by the RE/MAX offices, agents, buyers, sellers and business associates, the success of an initiative such as this is largely based on the support of the people in the community who step up to help by providing donations.

“The response and donations that were received from the public during the last two toy and book collections was amazing. We are hoping that we can continue the success of the previous campaigns and spread joy to far more children.”

Sandy Smith, RE/MAX Foundation manager, says all of the RE/MAX offices around the country are encouraged to participate in the drive and will act as drop-off points for the public.

“People will be able to take their donations to the RE/MAX office that is most convenient for them. To ensure that the local community benefits from the collections, each RE/MAX office can nominate a charity, crèche or orphanage in their area of operation that will receive all the toys and books,” she says.

“The idea behind this is so that those who choose to give will be supporting those in need within their local community and making a direct impact to those around them.  We want people to be able to support the communities they live in so that they can see the difference that their contribution has made.”

She says it is also about giving to something that you have a heart for and making the community a better place in which to live. Each community will know where help is needed and where their donations will make the largest impact.

“A big part of the RE/MAX brand ethos is to have a positive impact on the communities in which we operate. The RE/MAX Foundation initiatives have given those within the brand a vehicle through which to do just that.”

The aim of the RE/MAX Foundation is to have an ongoing impact on the lives of young people in particular, and empower them to be the best that they can be. Currently the foundation supports a number of national beneficiaries and over 100 local charities around South Africa through various corporate social investment initiatives.