FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Long Island Board of Realtors® Honors Three with Realtor Spirit Awards
Week of December 17th is Realtor Spirit Week

December 2007 - West Babylon, NY - The Long Island Board of REALTORS® (LIBOR) honored three outstanding members for their philanthropic community service during the recent Spirit Awards ceremony.  The recognition coincides with Realtor® Spirit Week.  Spirit Awards recognize Realtors®, one from each County, who have made a difference in their community through volunteer work, charitable efforts, youth related or other activities that demonstrate outstanding commitment to community service.  The LIBOR Public Relations Committee is proud to announce its 2007 REALTOR® Spirit Award recipients:

Nassau County - Susan Gruen Helsinger for her tireless efforts on behalf of The Jason F. Gruen Research Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, a form of heart disease that takes a young person's life without warning.  Helsinger’s son, Jason, a sophomore at Manhasset High School, passed away from the disease.  In the spring of 2007 the foundation’s efforts culminated in a unique project to offer Echocardiograms to 8th grade students interested in participating in sports programs in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.

Suffolk County - Angela Parisi for her lifelong dedication to The Brentwood Foundation, that identifies families with medical and special needs and sponsors fundraising events to purchase wheelchair accessible vehicles.  Parisi has raised $65,000 per family to provide them with this valuable resource.

Queens County - Margaret Wagner for her continued commitment to the Broad Channel Athletic Club, that provides year-round sports programs in the Broad Channel and surrounding communities for children, ages 3-16.  Wagner, an active member of The Broad Channel Athletic Club for 20 years, was the first and only female to serve as President. 

Each of these extraordinary recipients was awarded $1,000 for the charity of their choice.  As a token of appreciation to all the applicants, the Public Relations Committee also awarded a $100 donation to their respective charity of choice.

The “We’re More Than Realtors® PR campaign was created by the LIBOR Public Relations Committee.  “The campaign raises the public’s awareness about Realtors® and their philanthropic efforts within their communities,” said Linda Bonarelli, LIBOR President. “Spirit Awards are an important component of our campaign,” Bonarelli added.

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Press Release Contact:
Christina DeFalco
Public Relations and Communications Specialist
631-661-4800 Ext. 358

LIBOR is a 27,000 member not-for-profit trade association that serves real estate professionals throughout Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties. LIBOR is the largest local REALTOR® Board in the United States.