Annual road race benefits RE/MAX Charitable Foundation

Despite an early snow last year, there was a strong turnout for the annual RE/MAX Executive Charitable Foundation’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors 5K Run/Walk at Hopkinton Country Club. This year’s race will be held Nov. 23.

Neighbors helping neighbors. That’s the slogan of the RE/MAX Executive Charitable Foundation and that’s exactly what the organization has been doing since 2009 — helping provide assistance to individuals and families throughout the Metrowest area and beyond.

“Basically, our goal is to be able to help those who have fallen on catastrophically hard times,” explained foundation president Sandy Lucchesi, a 34-year resident of Hopkinton and a RE/MAX agent for the last 15 years.

And by that, Lucchesi explains that through a grant application process, funding is awarded for such things as health-related hardships or other devastating emergencies. For example, the nonprofit foundation could assist with medical bills for someone seriously ill, provide funding to a family that may have gone through a disaster such as a home fire, or assist with funeral costs.  Since its inception, the RE/MAX Executive Charitable Foundation has bestowed $170,000 to applicants.

“Just this year, we’ve awarded $30,000. That’s far exceeded anything we’ve done before,” Lucchesi said.

Those monies have been given to individuals or families living in Hopkinton, MetroWest and other area locations.

“Really any community in which we serve,” Lucchesi said of RE/MAX.

Over the past 10 years, monies for the grant funding have been raised in various ways, including contributions from RE/MAX agents themselves.

“A lot of our agents voluntarily donate some of their commission from every transaction,” Lucchesi said. “They’re very generous people.”

Anyone interested can become a member of the RE/MAX Executive Charitable Foundation, Lucchesi explained, noting members do not have to be RE/MAX agents.

Still, is it the foundation’s successful fundraisers that continue to be a mainstay when it comes to raising grant support. And the foundation’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors 5K Run/Walk that starts and ends at Hopkinton Country Club. This year, the race takes place on Saturday, Nov. 23, beginning at 9 a.m.

For a $45 registration fee, the first 100 runners will receive a long-sleeve, crew-neck technical shirt and everyone will enjoy a post-race brunch at the Country Club. If participants are expecting a banana and granola bar, think again. The buffet brunch will include eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, home fried potatoes, muffins, pastries, juice and more. A silent auction also will be held.

Earlier this fall, a cornhole tournament raised $3,600. The foundation’s approach to its success is the more people involved the better. Lucchesi said it is the combination of people taking part in events, assistance from corporate event sponsors, and membership that helps the foundation so it can help others.

“It allows us to extend our network, bring in more ideas, and spread the word about us. That in turn increases our fundraising and helps us to accomplish our mission,” she said.

For more information on the RE/MAX Executive Charitable Foundation or to locate the grant application form, view remax-executiverealty-ma.com/comm.asp. For more details on the road race and to register, visit remax5k.racewire.com.