Congratulations to our 2016 Circle of Light & Ed Bilinkas Memorial Award Winners!

As we continue to reminisce on IBC 2017, we’re proud to shine light on the outstanding brokerages and individuals that were honored with coveted national awards this year. We recently highlighted the winners and finalists for the Gene Francis Memorial Award and The Jim Jackson Memorial Award for 1^st IN SERVICE™ as well as this year’s Hall of Fame inductees. Today, we’re highlighting the winners of our social responsibility awards: Circle of Light for Community Leadership and Ed Bilinkas Memorial Award!

ERA® Circle of Light Award for Community Leadership – ERA Wilder Realty

The Circle of Light for Community Leadership Award recognizes ERA companies who give time, raise funds and provide resources to worthy causes. Circle of Light award winners create a culture of civic service within their companies and establish themselves as a philanthropic leader in the areas they serve.

Broker/owner of ERA Wilder Realty, Eddie Wilder, reflected on the honor: “Giving back to our community is at the heart of the ERA Wilder Realty mission. Our 300 agents continue to rally together in support of causes like MDA and breast cancer awareness in addition to community-specific organizations such as food banks and parent-teacher organizations. I am proud of their tireless dedication and we are humbled to be recognized for it.”

Ed Bilinkas Memorial Award – ERA Sellers & Buyers Real Estate

Presented annually, the Ed Bilinkas Memorial Award recognizes the ERA system’s top fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). ERA as a network has partnered with MDA for more than 35 years, and in 2014 created the ERA MDA Summer Camp Challenge: to send 1,000 children to MDA Summer Camp over the next three years. The network has already achieved 104 percent of its goal in year two of the challenge.

ERA Sellers & Buyers Real Estate was recognized as the winner for the second consecutive year. Co-broker/owner Doug Van Nortwick shared his reaction: “To receive this honor for a second year in a row is humbling. We went out with a goal and our incredible independent affiliated sales associates exceeded that goal. Our company thrives on helping others. For us, the only thing more rewarding than watching our group come together for a common good is knowing that more deserving children are enjoying a week of barrier-free fun at summer camp.”

Co-broker/owner John Van Nortwick also shared his thoughts: “We admire Ed’s persistence in helping the families who benefit from the MDA. We follow a similar approach but are also very fortunate to have tremendous support from our local community to help us fundraise for this extremely worthy cause. It is important that real estate sales professionals give back to the communities they serve and we are honored to be able to do just that.”

Congratulations to all – we are thrilled to have such amazing and committed members as part of the ERA network!