(l to r) Pam Wagner & Kathy Schaid.

The Heartland REALTOR® Organization (HRO) staffed two Salvation Army bell-ringing stations and supported a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation drive in December.

Bell Ringing

The Heartland Cares Task Force used 32 members, affiliate members and staff to keep the bells ringing and the donations flowing to the Salvation Army in Crystal Lake and McHenry during REALTOR® Ring Day, Dec. 1. The funds raised will be used to help local individuals in need.

“Despite the chilly temperatures, the event was a great success,” said HRO CEO Jim Haisler. “Last year, our crew was able to fill at least one bucket, so this year the Salvation Army swapped out our buckets halfway through the event. Heartland would like to thank those who volunteered their time and joyful demeanor to ring bells in the cold weather. We’d also like to thank those in the community who donated.”

Volunteers included:

  • Brian Augustine, Academy Mortgage;
  • Susan Bocian, BMO Harris Bank;
  • Dennis Hernandez (family of staff member);
  • Joe Hernandez (family of staff member);
  • Heidi Peterson, RE/MAX Plaza, McHenry;
  • Joe Pratt, First American Title;
  • Deb Quinnett, Coldwell Banker Honig Bell, McHenry;
  • John Reinert, Berkshire Hathaway HomeService Starck Real Estate;
  • Kathy Schaid, KD Schaid Appraisals;
  • Pam Wagner, Century 21 Roberts & Andrews; and
  • Dawn Zurick, OK & Associates, REALTY Plus.

Get more photos on the Heartland Facebook page.

hro-logoToys for Tots

About 65 HRO members also donated approximately 100 toys to the Toys for Tots campaign so that economically disadvantaged children could receive them for Christmas.

“All of the donated gifts that night were wrapped and then distributed to needy children within McHenry County,” said HRO President Jacqueline Lechner, who thanked affiliate members for sponsoring the event, as well as those who donated.

Officers for Heartland are: Lechner, president (Berkshire Hathaway HomeService in Palatine); Kris Brown, secretary-treasurer; and Kathleen Ricketts, secretary-treasurer (Century 21 Affiliated in Algonquin). Haisler is the chief executive officer.

(This is the 17th in a series about the charitable community work performed by local Illinois REALTOR® associations and local offices during the last two months of 2016. Previous stories were about the Capital Area, Champaign County,  Egyptian, Fox Valley, Greater Gateway, Kankakee Iroquois Ford, Lamoine Valley, Livingston County, North Shore-Barrington, Northwestern Illinois, Peoria Area, Quad City, Rockford Area, Southwestern Illinois associations, as well as the Chicago YPN and the RE/MAX Traders Unlimited office in Peoria. To share a story idea, contact [email protected].)