Long before Bruce and Holly reached their mutual goal of riding a motorcycle into our adopted winter town of Ojochal, Costa Rica, there was an even more far-fetched vision in Bruce’s mind. Far-fetched because back in 2010, it stretched the boundaries of what he felt was feasible, but he never hesitated to share his vision with co-workers, contacts and new friends at RE/MAX brokerages in Canada and Costa Rica and every possible RE/MAX office in between.
“I see myself on stage with Holly, presenting the RE/MAX flag to the Linigers at the Opening Session of the RE/MAX R4 International Convention in Las Vegas.”
That was the vision.
And, true to the Universal laws of attraction…this is what happened:
As was our greatest hope, Gail Liniger, co-founder of RE/MAX, embraced the journey and in her special way of being genuine and generous, returned the gift by donating it to the Children’s Miracle Network “Big Give” auction where this simple bit of nylon, embued with international best wishes from loving souls who happen to work within what we proudly call the RE/MAX FAMILY, these hundreds of signatures added up to one whopper of a donation for sick children and their families. $30,000. This act, led by RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic superstars David Brown and Shelby Schneider, outperformed some pretty incredible auction items – a trip to France, backstage passes to Lady Gaga, golf getaways in luxurious splendor…. None were, in the end, as valuable as helping sick kids get back to the business of being healthy and happy.
As Bruce debated which route to take in returning full-circle to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital and our home RE/MAX here in Wasaga Beach, his “relative” proximity to Denver, Colorado, the birthplace and world HQ of RE/MAX, was calling. As you can see in the Instagram photos to the right, and Bruce’s photo album on facebook, the reception felt like reaching another summit, with yet another reward for sick children: a $10,000 gift from RE/MAX LLC to the Alyssa Rae Johnson fund.
Last October, as we were goal-setting for this fundraising initiative, we were uncertain whether $25,000 was a pie-in-the-sky amount to aim for. Today, as we approach $70,000 raised, Bruce has the Rocky Mountains in his rear-view mirror and the contentment of knowing that we set the bar too low.
Our hearts overflow with the kindness and generosity we have witnessed along this journey so far.
Thank you for your interest and keep Bruce in your thoughts over the next 7-10 days as he looks for dry roads and hopes for more spring-like forecasts to welcome him home!!!
~Mary
At the RE/MAX World Headquarters in Denver, Colorado