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It was just less than one year ago that an F5 tornado swept through the City of Greensburg, Kansas, devastating the town and leaving hundreds of families homeless.
Within days of the disaster, the Kansas Association of REALTORS® began collecting contributions from REALTORS® across Kansas and the United States to help individuals and families in the area.
As the campaign comes to a close, the final numbers are in, and the statewide REALTOR® Association assisted 132 families in the community with more than $198,000 in contributions to Greensburg.
"The Association is proud to have been able to make a difference in the lives of so many families," said 2008 KAR President Jeff Carson of Kansas City, KS. "We were able to give qualifying families $1,500 to cover their uninsured losses from the tornado, and help them with their living costs as they rebuild their homes and lives.
"Greensburg is showing the heart and determination that is the ideal in the Midwest. They're taking this tragedy, and rebuilding their city better than ever. But more importantly, they've come together as a community - a group of friends and family who are working together to restore their future. We're humbled to have been able to contribute to that renewal," Carson said.
The REALTORS® received contributions from individual members of the Kansas Association of REALTORS®, local REALTOR® Associations in Kansas, and REALTOR® members from across the country.
"When disasters strike in Kansas, REALTORS® have always been there to support their communities," said Carol Mangan, 2007 President of the Kansas Association of REALTORS®. "We've helped clean up after floods, searched for survivors after tornadoes, and offered assistance after fires."
Mangan said that when she toured the Greensburg area after the tornado, she learned that several REALTOR® members in Pratt and Dodge City - like other residents in the surrounding communities - stepped up to help by housing victims and lend a helping hand.
"I'm very proud to be able to assist personally, but also as part of the larger REALTOR® community," Mangan said. "The REALTORS® I've worked with across the state are among the most caring people I know, and they all care deeply for their own towns, and the people of Kansas."
The first REALTOR® Relief Fund was created nationally after Sept. 11, 2001, and raised money to help the families of the terrorist attacks. Later, the Kansas Association created its own fund to help Kansas families after disasters. The Association is proud that 100 percent of the contributions to the Fund are distributed to relief efforts. No administrative costs are paid out of the contribution funds.
For information on contributing to the fund for future disasters, please see the Association's website at http://www.kansasrealtor.com/.
The Kansas Association of REALTORS® has been the "Voice for Real Estate" for more than 88 years. KAR is a non-profit trade association representing over 10,000 licensees throughout the state. The Association provides a resource for professional education, research and information exchange among its members, as well as to promote the real estate industry to consumers, government and the media. The Kansas Association of REALTORS® is headquartered in Topeka. For more information on the association visit the website at http://www.kansasrealtor.com/
