Arizona Association of REALTORS(R) Contributes $50,000 to Aid Victims of California Fires

PHOENIX, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ — The Arizona Association of REALTORS(R) has joined other National Association of REALTORS(R) organizations in contributing much-needed aid to the victims of recent California fires. The Arizona association is sending $50,000 in aid to the REALTORS(R) Relief Foundation.

“The REALTORS(R) Relief Foundation has taken the lead to help others in the midst of many national disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as international tragedies such as the South Asian tsunami in 2004,” says Frank Dickens, 2007 president of the Arizona Association of REALTORS(R). “The Arizona Association’s members have always given generously to help those in need and again they are joining efforts to help in the aftermath of these horrendous fires. The Association has agreed to provide $50,000 to the foundation’s efforts, aiding the more than 640,000 people who have been displaced by the tragedy. In the next days and months, our more than 54,000 state members will also be contributing individually to this cause, reaching into their personal pockets to help fellow homeowners in our neighboring state.”

The National Association of REALTORS(R) (NAR) called upon its 1.3 million members to contribute to the REALTORS(R) Relief Foundation to help those whose homes were destroyed. An estimated 1,800 homes were lost in the many fires that recently swept Southern California.

NAR President Pat V. Combs of Grand Rapids, Mich. said, “Helping people experience the American Dream of homeownership and building communities is what REALTORS(R) are all about. We understand how rewarding it is to own your own home, and we can sympathize with how horrible it is to have that home go up in flames. For so many people to lose their homes in Southern California is heartbreaking.”

The REALTORS(R) Relief Foundation was established to provide housing-related assistance to needy victims in times of disaster (including, but not limited to, affected relief and rescue workers), and their families, and for other charitable purposes permitted in under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Those interested in contributing to the REALTORS(R) Relief Foundation can send checks payable to the foundation to: REALTORS(R) Relief Foundation, Attn: NAR Finance Division, 430 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Contributions are tax deductible.

The Arizona Association of REALTORS(R) (AAR), the largest professional trade association in the state, is comprised of individuals involved in the real estate industry, allied industries and firms. The association’s more than 54,000 members represent more than half of the real estate licensees in Arizona. For information about the Arizona Association of REALTORS(R), including home buying and selling points, visit the organization’s web site at http://www.AARonline.com.

SOURCE Arizona Association of REALTORS

© 2007 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.