It was a slam dunk for the second annual Ballin’ Out for Charity event this past weekend, with an impressive $111,000 raised for the MLSE Foundation.
On Saturday, April 27th, key players in Toronto’s real estate industry laced up their runners and hit the basketball court to compete for a good cause (as opposed to competing for listings or buyers, refreshingly).
Organized by RAD Marketing and BLACKLINE, the Ballin’ Out for Charity basketball tournament took place at the Goldring Centre on the University of Toronto campus, bringing together developers, construction companies, trades, agencies, and brokerages in support of MLSE Foundation.
“What started as a pick-up game with some industry peers grew into the idea of using basketball as a conduit to promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and philanthropy within our industry to create a positive impact in the communities we work in,” says Tim Ng, Principal at BLACKLINE.
After raising over $70,000 at the inaugural event, this year’s event upped the ante with a larger venue, more teams, and tremendous industry support to raise a ballin’ $111,000 for the charity.
The full-day event kicked off with 20 teams playing three-on-three basketball games and was open to all ages. There was food and a series of activations throughout the day for everyone to enjoy, including performances by the Raptors North Side Crew, a half-court shot contest, and a raffle draw for a trip to Mexico. The morning session of games saw teams playing against their division to make it to the afternoon "elimination round."
Teams united in the friendly, dollar-generating competition included ReMax Millennium, Great Gulf, Mattamy Homes, Slate Asset Management, Bullpen Consulting, Topcrete, Skygrid Construction, kg&a, Metropia, Canderel, Sherry Dabir, KingSett Capital, Tradeworld Realty, RBC, Benchmark Signature Realty, Platform Insurance, PSR Brokerage, The Wolfpack, and Rad/Black.
Ballin' Out for Charity
For all of their efforts on the court, players were also treated to complimentary massage and stretching provided by MetaTherapy. During lunch, the organizers invited local rep teams (ages 9-10) to play full court games, giving them an opportunity to play on a big stage. A total of 37 games were played in the tournament leading up to the final, where ReMax Millennium faced off against Topcrete Forming, with Topcrete edging it out to win the title.
Of course, the real winner was the MLSE Foundation, a (literally) game-changing organization that is built on the belief that sport has the power to change the world. With the support of Toronto Argos, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC, MLSE Foundation spent the last decade intentionally investing over $67 million in youth and communities faced with systemic barriers across Ontario. Funds from Ballin’ Out For Charity were all donated to an MLSE Foundation campaign.
“MLSE Foundation is proud to partner with Ballin’ Out for Charity and see their support go toward our Change the Game Campaign,” says Brett Fyfer, MLSE Foundation’s Campaign Director. “MLSE Foundation remains committed to removing the barriers that limit accessible sport participation for young people so that they reach their full potential. Our work has shown us that it's not a lack of potential holding back young people in Ontario, but a lack of opportunity."
Sean Zahedi, Executive Vice President at RAD Marketing, says that Ballin’ Out For Charity has been established as a platform for the company to give back to these communities, while also creating opportunities for the younger generations to get involved.
“We are a tight knit industry that truly cares about the communities we are building,” says Zahedi. “This is just the beginning and we foresee this annual tournament to continue to grow within the industry and through our social impact.”
The event was made possible thanks to the sponsorship dollars of Skygrid, Slate Asset Management, Benchmark Signature Realty, Empire Communities, Great Gulf, Tribute Communities, Mattamy Homes, KingSett Capital, Metropia, GTA Homes, Sherry Dabir Team, Channel 13, Resident, MyCondoPro, Besu, EllisDon Developments, First Class Realty, Hirsch & Associates, and Royal LePage Signature Realty.
STOREYS is an official media partner of Ballin' Out For Charity.
