LIHUE — The Kauai Board of Realtors has pledged $100,000 over the next six months to Kauai Habitat for Humanity for sponsorship at the American Dream Sponsor level of a home in Phase 2 of the Eleele Iluna subdivision project.
LIHUE — The Kauai Board of Realtors has pledged $100,000 over the next six months to Kauai Habitat for Humanity for sponsorship at the American Dream Sponsor level of a home in Phase 2 of the Eleele Iluna subdivision project.
“We are proud to help further the important work of Kauai Habitat for Humanity, said Donna Rice, board president. “Our goal is to raise the $100,000 over the next six months. We hope this will serve as an example to other organizations that there are strength in numbers, and together we can make great things happen for those in need in our community.”
The Kauai Board of Realtors has been a strong supporter of affordable home builder Kauai Habitat for Humanity over the years, Rice said.
Last year, Past President Matt Beall, Ron Margolis, both of Hawaii Life Real Estate, Steve Latham of Kauai Dream Homes, and Justin Thain of Puuwai Design & Construction formed a committee to rally support and challenge other KBR members to raise funds and swing hammers at Habitat’s Build-A-Thon in August.
More than 50 members and affiliate members of KBR, friends, and volunteers came together with a combined 400-plus hours of labor to help three Habitat partner families in Anahola, and $8,500 in contributions were raised in support of Habitat’s ongoing work.
This year, KBR’s efforts to help make more affordable homes available to the community were continued by the 2013 KBR/Habitat sub-committee that includes Steve Latham of Kauai Dream Homes, Darcy McCartney McCartney Properties, and Fran McDonald Coldwell Banker Makai Properties.
On April 24, the subcommittee organized a special caravan of homes that showcased one of the recently completed Habitat homes the Realtors helped to construct.
The homes that KBR helped begin were officially completed and dedicated later the same day. KBR members were in attendance to celebrate with Habitat and the three homeowner families.
It was at that event that Rice, Beall and Rick Shaw of Coldwell Banker Makai Properties discussed the status of Habitat’s Eleele Iluna subdivision with Stephen Spears, Habitat executive director.
After learning that the cost to build an affordable home in that subdivision was $100,000, Rice, Beall, and Shaw shook hands with Spears and began laying out a plan of action to raise $100,000 from member brokerages of Kauai Board of Realtors.
On June 26, the Kauai County Council presented the KBR with a certificate to honor the partnership between the board and Kauai Habitat.
“Our partner families work so hard to build up their lives and construct their homes,” Spears said. “Our homeowners, Board, and staff are grateful to have the friendship, wise counsel, and support of Kauai Board of Realtors. We are thrilled to have them on board as an American Dream Sponsor, which is the top level of our House Sponsorship program.”
