Climbing for a Cause: Royal LePage continues a longstanding tradition of helping abused women and children at National Conference

VANCOUVER, Sept. 19, 2012 /CNW/ - On the eve of the bi-annual Royal LePage National Sales Conference taking place in Vancouver from September 20-22, a group of sixty Royal LePage agents and brokers from across Canada are testing their physical fitness all for a good cause. They will be climbing the Grouse Grind - coined "Mother Nature's Stairmaster" - and raising funds in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is Canada's largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to supporting women's shelters and helping to end family violence. Since 1998, Royal LePage agents, brokers and staff have raised more than $14 million to fund women's shelters and grassroots violence prevention programs in every province.

The "Grouse Grind 4 Shelter" was conceived by Sebastian Albrecht, a sales representative with Royal LePage Westside in Vancouver. Mr. Albrecht holds the record for the most number of ascents of the Grouse Grind in one day. In 2010, he climbed the Grouse Grind fourteen times and raised over $20,000 in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. This summer, he challenged his Royal LePage colleagues from across the country to participate in the "Grouse Grind 4 Shelter" and raise funds in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. The event sold out and over $20,000 has been raised with donations still coming in. One hundred percent of the donations will support women's shelters in communities across Canada where the participants are from. 

"The tradition of fundraising in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is alive and well at our National Sales Conference this year," says Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. "It's incredible that amongst the learning, sharing and networking that takes place, Royal LePage agents and brokers have raised over $1 million at our conferences to help abused women and children across the country."

Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company with its own charity. In addition to the "Grouse Grind 4 Shelter", at this year's Royal LePage National Sales Conference - where the company officially kicks off celebrations in honour of its 100th year anniversary in 2013 - 800 conference goers will participate in a variety of events including live and silent auctions, a golf tournament, trolley rides, whisky tastings and other activities in support of the Shelter Foundation's mission to help end family violence. 

About the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is Canada's largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to supporting women's shelters and ending violence against women and children. Through agent commission donations and the fundraising activities of the Royal LePage network, we have raised over $14 million since 1999 to help provide a safe haven and new beginnings to more than 30,000 women and children each year. To break the cycle of violence, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation also supports violence prevention and education programs. All funds raised by Royal LePage offices remain in their local community and because Royal LePage covers the Shelter Foundation's administrative costs, one hundred percent of all money and effort goes toward this important cause.

For more information, visit www.royallepage.ca/shelter.

About Royal LePage

Serving Canadians since 1913, Royal LePage is the country's leading provider of services to real estate brokerages, with a network of 14,000 real estate professionals in over 600 locations nationwide. Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, dedicated to supporting shelters for abused women and children and educational programs aimed at ending domestic violence. Royal LePage is a Brookfield Real Estate Services Inc. company, a TSX-listed corporation trading under the symbolTSX:BRE.

For more information, visit www.royallepage.ca.

SOURCE: Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

Media Contacts:

Shanan Spencer-Brown
Royal LePage Shelter Foundation
647-300-9208
[email protected]