AMPI Challenges You to Give Back
My term as AMPI* president, having past the halfway point, has been very rewarding for me so far. We just completed our election process for board members, and I am pleased to have a new leader voted in as President elect. Tab Gray's official term as president will start in January. I cannot emphasize enough, the respect I have for Tab and I look forward to this reign. The real estate experience, values and judgment he brings to our association of Realtors is a rare blessing.
The team that makes up our board has done an outstanding job for AMPI and this Community as I am sure their successors will as well. AMPI brings a lot of positive energy, concepts and productivity to Rocky Point, and will continue to benefit our community as we grow as an organization.
The leaders of AMPI as well as the majority of our membership have not only strived to make this community better through strong ethical real estate practices, but are also active in may other aspects of community development and philanthropy as well. Our members are involved with many different committees and organizations that are specifically created for the betterment of life for everyone in this town. Past president Linda Decker for example, represents AMPI on a board of community civic leaders representing every market segment from restaurants, merchants, hotel owners and others meet for the sole purpose of creating a unified front for elevating Puerto Peñasco to the next level. This is an example of large scale involvement but there are so many other means of assistance that AMPI offers, and there is a way that each every one of us can make a difference.
After reading several of the monthly articles that I write as the AMPI president, I realized that they seem to be sounding alike to me. So in the spirit of a lame duck president, I will focus this article's message on something other than the importance of AMPI in the real estate community. As mentioned above, our members are blessed with opportunities to give back to our local community, and I would like to show examples of how you can too. There are ways to give that are so simple, that hopefully will inspire you to do so.
If everyone that reads my articles donates one can of food for example, we could feed lunch to a family of four. (Providing my Mom gets this issue). So please, let's verbally pass this on and tell a friend, pay it forward and get a movement going. Seriously!
It is possible to make a difference in this community with as much as an old baseball glove, an unused musical instrument, or that can of paint that will simply dry up in your garage. Did you know that there are groups involved in the collection of items for every cultural aspect of life as well as the bare bones essential needs of the poor, the children and the elderly? There is a group working with kids that formed Peñasco's first marching band. Do you have any old instruments sitting around gathering dust?
There is the recently dedicated Ernest G. Large Community Center sitting on about for acres of land donated by Larry Large that, with your support, will get the kids of Rocky Point active in sports and off the streets. This center will have many sports fields, a community recreation center and possibly even community gardens where people can learn how to grow there own vegetables. This facility will require lots of items. This can be done with one soccer ball at a time, monetary donations, time, or other.
There is an anti graffiti committee, with an army of volunteers ready to paint over graffiti that would love to receive any old cans of paint that you have. There is a group of Dr's that helps with aye sight that needs glasses, others that could use any old crutch, ankle brace, blanket …Truly there are needs for every little scrap of reusable clutter you have in you home. We tend to talk of hard times yet throw away things some truly could use. Most of us have boxes of stuff that we will never use.
Well, I ask; No I challenge you to think outside the box and help. If you haven't done it, you would be amazed at how rewarding it is. I have heard testimonials from kids in boy scout groups and others that I believe have experienced life changing emotions from seeing the eyes of children benefiting from their grace. From seeing how blessed they are and how much joy they can give with so little effort. I know one child that when asked what he wanted for his birthday said, “I want gifts for the poor kids of Rocky Point.” He hand delivered about 30 backpacks in Rocky Point on his last birthday.
It is amazing to realize the broad spectrum of possibilities that exist with a little imagination. For example, there is an annual piñata challenge, where I challenge everyone to build the best piñata. Sounds weird, but in my first year, the Peñasco Children's foundation received $3,500 from proceeds generated from piñatas that were sold at auction, and one participant, a local girl won $200 for the best piñata. Talk to some kids, organizations or clubs in the states and get them to compete in a cultural piñata building party, I assure you, any of these crafts will draw cold hard cash, and the proceeds will be used for great causes.
As I ramble on, I would like to share one of the most inspiring events of goodwill that I have ever witnessed, and had the opportunity to participate in. It started around Thanksgiving time last year. What began as a gesture to help underprivileged families in Puerto Peñasco enjoy Christmas, transformed into a movement that changed lives.
Tab Gray, AMPI's new president elect has been actively helping those less fortunate for years now. What Tab did last November 27 th however, changed the way many of us will approach the holidays from now forward. He called a group of us real estate professionals together to discuss his vision of expanding on a Christmas party that he has been hosting annually on conjunction with the Family of God Church, Las Palomas and others. It was not us as realtors; it was us as a group of socially responsible, caring individuals that together made up a team for the benefit of others that just happened to be friends of Tab and his wife Ellen.
A plan was devised, and we were working towards an inspired goal. Nothing however was mentioned about the competition that was about to unleashed. This competition had a group of about ten people racing to gather donations to see who could bring in the most money and contributions. The competition was not the important part of the story. It is not important to note that Mary Snyder and Cathy Poturalski kicked the rest of our butts in the collection process. What matters is that they led us to the astonishing amount of about $45,000 in less than one month, just in time to throw a huge block party for thousands of families and children. Volunteers handed out 1250 blankets, jackets, gloves and 1,000 grocery bags that included basic essentials of daily life.
There were lots of games set up, thousands of toy bags handed out, a 1000 sticks of cotton candy, 3000 hot dogs, and fun was had by all. I heard from a lot of the over 100 volunteers that the kids were not the only ones rewarded. The vision of smiles and the excitement of the kids and the gratitude from the moms were some the best feelings, and memories and they will bring me back again every year. It was amazing.
As mentioned the collection competition was not important, but if you would like to donate please feel free to contact me…
Seriously, to find out how you can help you will find highly useful information in the pages of Rocky point Times. Look under Groups and Organizations or you may also contact me:
*(AMPI, is Mexico's National Association of Realtors which helps set the standards for real estate practices, here and nationally.)
NEW AMPI BOARD MEMBERS & LAST TERMS BOARD
President: Kent White will be replaced by Tab Gray
Secretary: Sally Petric is replaced by Susan Flinn
Treasurer: Randy Maitland is replaced by Mike Clifton
International Liaison: is a new position held by Linda Decker
V.P. Membership: Robin Miller will remain seated
V.P. Training/Education: Linda Decker is replaced by Raul O'Farrill
V.P. MLS: Wayne Corcoran is replaced Heidi Wosak
V.P. Ethics: Grant Mackenzie is replaced by Wayne Corcoran
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