CENTURY 21 Canada exceeds fundraising goal for Easter Seals in 2020 by over 200%, despite COVID19 challenges, bringing total lifetime support in Canada to over $12M

Image above: Easter Seals campers watching a Zoom presentation during a virtual visit to the aquarium for online camp in 2020.

February 3, 2021 – Easter Seals Canada is pleased to announce that in spite of the challenges caused by the COVID19 pandemic, CENTURY 21 Canada (www.c21.ca) – one of the world’s largest residential real estate sales organizations – has outdone itself once again by raising $452,729 in donations in 2020 for Easter Seals through its C21 Kids to Camp program (www.C21KidstoCamp.ca). This amount is more than twice the target of $210,000 which it had set for itself that year, and is enough to enable over 215 children and youth who are living with disabilities to enjoy and benefit from the transformative experience of an Easter Seals camp.

CENTURY 21 Canada is one of Easter Seals’ most long-standing and important partners – having selected the organization as its charity of choice in 1979. Each year, CENTURY 21 Companies and Network members (REALTORS^® ) across Canada donate and help to fundraise to send kids living with disabilities to Easter Seals’ accessible summer camps across the country so that they can have fun, cultivate lifelong friends, and develop their confidence, skills and abilities.

The amount of $452,729 was achieved in spite of the challenges and economic uncertainties caused by the COVID19 pandemic, which has devastated many industries and livelihoods across Canada.   

In addition, 48 CENTURY 21 Network members qualified for the coveted Golden Heart Awards and C21 Kids to Camp Club Member awards in 2020, for having raised over $2,100 each for Easter Seals within a calendar year. 

CENTURY 21 B.J. Roth Realty, based primarily in Barrie, Ontario, once again emerged as the CENTURY 21 Company that raised the most funds for Easter Seals in 2020, for the seventh consecutive year. CENTURY 21 Leading Edge Realty Inc. and CENTURY 21 Heritage Group Ltd.  (based in Toronto and Richmond Hill, Ontario, respectively), CENTURY 21 Dome Realty Inc (based in Regina, Saskatchewan) and CENTURY 21 Executives Realty Ltd. (based in Vernon, British Columbia) – round out the top 5 Companies.

Canadian companies also dominated the CENTURY 21 System’s leader rankings of companies in North America to have raised the most donations for Easter Seals, with 13 CENTURY 21 Companies in Canada taking the top 21 spots. 

Image above: A young camper having a great time at a day camp in 2020.

The impact and difference that CENTURY 21’s support makes in enabling hundreds of children and youth with disabilities to participate in Easter Seals’ accessible and inclusive camps each year cannot be overemphasized, and was even more critical in 2020, as it enabled Easter Seals to pivot in many provinces – amidst the pandemic – to offer camps online, or even in-person where health guidelines permitted, so that children and youth were still able to connect with their peers, have fun, and mediate against the impact of physical distancing and social isolation on their mental health and well-being. In the words of one such parent whose child attended an online Easter Seals camp in 2020:

“My son, E., participated in the online Camp and just loved every minute of it! From tie-dye t-shirts, to virtual dance parties, and even a talent show, they didn’t miss a beat! We are so impressed with how Easter Seals has managed to translate the magic of in-person camp to this virtual format. The amazing staff and camp counsellors have gone over and above to ensure all the campers engaged and entertained. It’s been so much fun and we’re so happy to have been a part of it.”

#C21KidstoCamp