Recently Keller Williams Realty held its second annual RED (Renew, Energize, Donate) Day, an initiative dedicated to improving local communities. More than 76,000 Keller Williams Realty associates and staff across North America, as well as their friends and families, were invited to donate their time to renew, energize and give back in their local communities.

Some of the activities that took place:

KW Realty South in Calgary adopted a park through Calgary Parks and Recreation to clean up on RED Day. The staff picked up litter and generally beautified the area.

In Port Coquitlam, B.C., the staff of KW Elite helped rejuvenate the Kinsmen centre. It is in a local park and regularly victim to graffiti. The building and surroundings are getting a full face-lift, including planting new trees and flowers. Paint as well as a top coat was donated to ensure that any future graffiti can simply be washed off.

The staff of KW Valley Realty in Abbottsford, B.C. helped to clean Jubilee Park where many homeless people and drug users congregate. The office was also feeding the homeless, serving hot lunches with fresh veggies, fruit and juice drinks.

The members of KW Real Estate Services in North York, Ont. adopted a day with the Habitat for Humanity organization, helping with a building project and raising more than $5,000.

In Newmarket, Ont. KW Real Estate Centres are working with a group called Neighborhood Network, an organization that matches companies and charities. It is working with Inn from the Cold, a shelter that provides emergency food, clothing and shelter to the homeless. The projects included minor repairs, painting, planting trees and a garden, and organizing their food bank.

Ottawa’s KW Solid Rock joined forces with KW VIP to support the Ottawa Food Bank. They arranged for up to 45 volunteer slots at the bank or at any of five grocery stores across Ottawa that collected donations. With all of their ongoing charitable activities, staff at KW Ottawa is calling 2010 their RED Year. On this RED Day they supported the Ottawa Rotary Home, a facility that provides short-term respite care to families with physically disabled children. They organized events with the residents and did landscaping work for the facility, including installing a donated fence. The office is also sponsoring a week of adult respite care and helping to develop a plan to encourage other small companies to get involved.

The staff of KW Referred Realty in Toronto improved the immediate area around their new branch office at St. Clair and Bathurst by painting it – not red, but white. Joining forces with their local BIA, they helped rid the back lanes of graffiti. It was a joint initiative with over 70 agents participating. Keller Williams Advantage in the east end spent the day at The Red Door Women’s Shelter, a facility for women and children who have escaped abusive relationships.

The staff and associates painted the three TV/sitting rooms, planted a garden and barbecued hotdogs and hamburgers to sell to passersby, with all funds going to The Red Door.

In Kitchener, Ont., KW Golden Triangle Realty hosted a barbecue combined with a food/clothing drive for Children and Family Services. Special presentations were made by a guest speaker as well as the Heart and Stroke Foundation. It will be hosting the annual Big Bike event later in June, which the office is also heavily supporting.

KW Energy in Whitby/Oshawa, Ont. chose Cornerstone Community Association. It is a men’s shelter that provides services to individuals who are homeless and require support to be in the community. The associates painted throughout the facility to give a fresh updated look, as well as providing gardening and landscaping work. Two volunteers provided haircuts for the residents of Cornerstone.

In Mississauga, Ont., KW Real Estate Associates were landscaping and cleaning the gardens, balconies, terraces and the courtyard for the residents and the staff at Specialty Care Nursing Home. The facility is in need of assistance to create a peaceful and useable space outdoors where the residents can enjoy time with their loved ones.