Realtors' Letters Add Special Touch to Honor Flight

Coldwell Banker Sea Realty associate Russ May just returned from accompanying World War II veterans to see the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC. The trip was made possible by Honor Flight Southeastern North Carolina.

Honor Flight is an amazing all-volunteer effort dedicated to demonstrating respect and admiration for surviving World War II veterans by flying them at no cost to Washington, DC to see the World War II Memorial. The Memorial was completed in 2004.

The majority of the veterans are in their 80's and some needed a little special help navigating the airport and finding their way around Washington's monuments. As a Guardian on the trip, Russ May helped veterans have a safe and comfortable journey.

"A very important and emotional part of the return trip is 'mail call' when the veterans are surprised to receive letters from their families and friends expressing their thanks and gratitude for the veterans' service," said May. A day and a half before the most recent Honor Flight trip, May found out that some of the veterans wouldn't be receiving letters and that it was too late to contact their families again.

"It would be a shame for these individuals to sit empty handed while their fellow veterans receive a package of mail," he wrote in an email to associates and staff in Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty's Wilmington, NC office. "If you have a moment to write a generic note to a WWII veteran, I'll make sure it gets in the right hands."

Overnight, Russ May's mailbox was filled with 54 letters expressing heartfelt gratitude. Even though the letters were addressed to perfect strangers, the writers shared personal stories of lost loved ones, family members who served during wartime, and respect for the military. "Having seen the emotion in the faces of veterans in past flights, I know your thoughts, prayers, and blessings will be warmly received, richly deserved, and much appreciated," May told his colleagues.

Russ May is one of several Realtors at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty that have volunteered with Honor Flight Southeastern North Carolina. The October 13, 2010 trip was the third Honor Flight made possible by Honor Flight Southeastern North Carolina. Veterans had beautiful weather for their trip to Washington, DC. A crowd of several hundred well-wishers decked out in red, white, and blue greeted the veterans when they returned to Wilmington International Airport Wednesday evening.

For more information about Honor Flight of Southeastern North Carolina, please visit http://www.honorflightsenc.org/.

To learn more about the national Honor Flight organization, log on to http://www.honorflight.org/.

Sea Coast Realty Will Build Habitat for Humanity Home

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty is pleased to announce that it will begin work this fall on a Habitat for Humanity home. Sea Coast Realty president Tim Milam pledged his company’s sponsorship at Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity’s 9th Annual Golden Hammer Pledge Breakfast held May 25, 2010.

The breakfast marked Executive Director Barbara Birkenheuer’s retirement from Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity after ten years of service. In honor of her leadership, Milam announced that the Habitat home Sea Coast Realty builds will be dedicated as the “Barbara Birkenheuer House.”

By sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity home, Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty will provide $60,000 in financial support and volunteer labor each week of the home build. Sea Coast Realty has sponsored three other Habitat homes since it began its involvement with Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity in 1997. Sales associates and staff from Sea Coast Realty’s Leland office also helped with construction of a Habitat home in Navassa in January 2010. Next month, Russ May, a sales associate from Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty’s Wilmington, N.C. office, will become president of the Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors.

“While sponsoring three homes in the Wilmington area, we have learned how valuable homeownership is to those who thought they would never own a home,” said Milam. “I cannot think of a more worthy housing organization.”

Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity is one of 76 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in North Carolina and is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. For more information about Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity, please visit capefearhabitat.org

Agents and Staff “Never Stop Moving” in Wilmington YMCA Triathlon

Seventeen Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty agents and staff were among the 1,300 participants in last Saturday’s Wilmington YMCA Triathlon. The race is the largest single distance, one day event held anywhere between northern Virginia and Florida. All proceeds of the race will benefit the YMCA’s youth programs.

Participating agents and staff were Tina Abraham, Ryanna Avery, Wendy Shorter-Bridges, Theresa Brockway, Melanie Cameron, Mary Ellen Condon, Shawndy Conway, Ryan Crecelius, Nicole Ferguson, Michelle Gurrera, Jessica Keenan, Dana Little, Brian Moxey, Rebecca Moxey, Alisha Murray, Alex Paen, and Sean Skutnik. Agent Russ May also helped out as the team photographer.

The race began in Wrightsville Beach with a 1,500 meter swim through Banks Channel. The next portion of the race was a 20 kilometer (12.4 mile) bicycle route that wound through Wilmington and returned to Wrightsville Beach. Then the race concluded with a five kilometer (3.1 mile) run along Wrightsville Beach’s popular “loop”.

Most of the Sea Coast team was participating in a triathlon for the first time, including agent Melanie Cameron. “A group from the office has been training for about four months now. We’ve been swimming the channel at Wrightsville Beach all summer and I’ve been running and biking on my own to get ready,” she said. Director of Business Development Brian Moxey, a triathlon veteran, says that running a triathlon and a real estate career are not that different. “The reward of finishing a race is very similar to closing a transaction, but it’s also similar because people don’t see all the preparation and hard work that an agent goes through to get there. There’s a lot of grunt work involved before you ever get to the big day.”

Whether they are swimming, biking, and running to the finish line or helping folks buy and sell homes, these hard-working real estate professionals “never stop moving.” Learn more about how to make Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty part of your winning team at seacoastrealty.com.