Broker/owner JoAnn Jusdanis along with broker-manager Rob Landry of Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services prepare to hand over “Royal LeMoose” to this year’s highest bidders.

More than 1,000 Royal LePage sales representatives, broker-owners, managers and business partners convened in Toronto for the Royal LePage National Sales Conference recently. Fundraising for the company’s charity, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, took centre stage on both the official agenda and at pre-conference gatherings, raising a record-breaking $120,000.

Auctioneer Kent Browne, broker/owner of Royal LePage Team Realty and Royal LePage Gale Real Estate in Ottawa, with Royal LePage Shelter Foundation executive director Shanan Spencer-Brown.

Delegates from across the country connected with their peers and drew inspiration from speakers including astronaut Chris Hadfield, marketing expert Scott Stratten and Olympic Gold Medalist Jon Montgomery. They attended an array of events held in support of the foundation, including a Toronto harbour boat cruise (hosted by Royal LePage Supreme Realty), an evening at the Hockey Hall of Fame (hosted by Royal LePage Signature Realty), a  golf tournament at Glen Abbey (hosted by the Kate Vanderburgh Team of Royal LePage Real Estate Services), the Wee Dram for Shelter scotch tasting (hosted by Reid Greiner, with the help of George Grdic, both of Royal LePage Real Estate Services) and a weekend-long motorcycle ride through cottage country with participants from across Canada. During an evening to explore the city, Brandy Hyland and Erin Gregory of Royal LePage Connect Realty collected donations at a photo booth at a popular Toronto nightclub.

Royal LePage Estate Realty sponsored the Balloon Pop for Shelter, collecting donations from delegates who took their chances at winning prizes as noted inside each balloon.

There was also a silent auction. A collaborative art project spearheaded by Genworth Canada encouraged all conference attendees to leave their mark on a large canvas, which was auctioned off for more than $5,000. This one-of-a-kind piece will be hung in the office of the highest bidder, Robert Nimmo of Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

The Kate Vanderburgh Team sponsored a golf tournament at Glen Abby. From left: Genevieve Abbott, operations manager; sales representatives Jeff Monsinger, Kate Vanderburgh and Josie Racco-Attardo; and marketing manager Virginia Rowe.

Attendees of the Royal LePage Supreme Realty Boat Cruise in support of the shelter foundation.

In the live auction overseen by Kent Browne, broker/owner of Royal LePage Team Realty and Royal LePage Gale Real Estate in Ottawa, attendees bid on private excursions and exclusive events.

The infamous Royal LePage faux fur coat, which is auctioned off at every conference, was sent home with Brad Johnstone, broker of record at Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre.  Not to be outdone, an enormous stuffed animal “Royal LeMoose” – once owned by a women’s shelter in Regina – was auctioned off for $15,000 to 14 eager bidders, who will circulate this moose dressed as a Mountie to Royal LePage brokerages across the country during the next two years.