Stacey Bourbonnais, Jay Lough Hayes, Yin-Lynn Low and Suganya Koneswaran know first-hand how one idea can have a powerful outcome, especially when you rally up friends, family and colleagues to join you.
Stacey Bourbonnais and her son kick-started a unique idea for a fundraiser. They came up with “make your own bath bomb kits” – a fun activity that raises money for kids undergoing cancer treatment. Stacey headed to the store to buy all the supplies and later announced their fundraiser on social media. The response was unbelievable. They raised $19,600 for McMaster Children’s Hospital and Camp Ooch and Camp Trillium.
Jay Lough Hayes, a Peterborough REALTOR®, wanted to make a difference in the community she’s lived and worked in for almost four decades. She created Santas for Peterborough Seniors twelve years ago. It all started with spreading the word to businesses to donate a gift during the holidays for seniors in long-term care. The result brought smiles to the faces of 128 seniors in the first year of Santas for Peterborough Seniors. Fast forward to 2021, this holiday initiative reached 750 seniors who unwrapped books, clothing and more.
Yin-Lynn Low has a goal to increase the awareness of cancer after undergoing a battle herself. “It was quite an experience to see and witness the impact it can have not only on the cancer patient, but also their family members’ physical and mental health,” said Yin-Lynn. After hearing about a close friend with a rare cancer diagnosis, she knew she had to lend a helping hand. For her birthday, Yin-Lynn asked her friends and family to take part in an online fundraiser for medical treatment and future research. To encourage others to give back, she donated $1,000. The campaign has raised over $37,000 so far.
Suganya Koneswaran took part in a small act of kindness for the healthcare workers at SickKids hospital. To show her appreciation she hand-delivered lunch to say thank you for their dedication to treating patients in need. In December, Suganya and her brokerage set a new goal to support SickKids Foundation. After a successful online fundraiser, they raised $15,501. The donation will go towards building a new state-of-the-art hospital and ongoing patient support and breakthrough research.
Learn more about TRREB Members coming together to make a positive impact.
Discover what else our Members get up to through the Ontario REALTORS® Care Foundation, and how they support shelter-based charities across the GTA.
