Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently announced John Kersten, president of Century 21 Town & Country in Utica, Mich., was presented with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Good Neighbor Award for his dedication and commitment to serving his community through his work with Easter Seals, the philanthropic partner of CENTURY 21®. In the past two decades alone, Kersten and his brokerage firm have raised more than $14.6 million that has been donated to Easter Seals.
“I accept this award on behalf of the work Easter Seals does on behalf of families and children living with disabilities to live, work and play in their communities,” says Kersten, after hearing the news. “To be mentioned in such great company with these other Good Neighbor finalists is a tremendous honor as their work, too, is helping to build better communities around the country.”
“The selflessness demonstrated by John speaks volumes about his leadership skills and his ability to mobilize people for a common cause,” says Rick Davidson, president and chief executive officer of Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “John has always been a ‘Good Neighbor’ to the CENTURY 21® System, and we are proud to have him represent our brand.”
Two decades ago, Kersten began hosting rubber ducky races to raise money for Easter Seals. Today, John and his team hold at least five fundraisers a year, including annual drawings that feature Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS as prizes.
“John Kersten embodies philanthropy through his engagement of other like-minded donors and volunteers, the contributions generated by his entire team’s efforts, and the impact they’ve had on families living with disabilities in the community. On behalf of all those who’ve benefited from his generosity at Easter Seals, we’d like to congratulate John for winning this well-deserved award,” Randy Rutta, President & CEO, Easter Seals Inc.
Led by the National Association of REALTORS® and REALTOR® Magazine, this year marks the 16th anniversary of the Good Neighbor Awards program, which aims to honor REALTORS® for donating their time, money and passion to enrich the lives of the people in the communities in which they live and work.
Kersten is among the five winners who were named from a list of ten finalists and will receive a $10,000 grant for their community charity as well as a feature in the November/December issue of REALTOR Magazine. The winners will also receive travel expenses to the 2015 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Diego, where they will accept their awards in front of thousands of their peers. In addition, five honorable mentions will receive a $2,500 grant.
For more information, visit www.century21.com.
