February 22 was a night of celebration for the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) as it presented its prestigious Realtors Care and Realtor of the Year awards. Sponsored by long-time supporter Coast Capital Savings, the gala event took place at Nanaimo's Coast Bastion Inn and was the evening follow up to the VIREB Annual General Meeting (AGM) that took place at the same location earlier in the day.
Coast Capital's Ken Villines presented one of five 2012 Realtors Care Award to Matt Breedlove of Royal LePage Parksville Qualicum Realty.
The award, which has been presented annually since 2007, recognizes individual realtors for their outstanding community service and professional leadership.
This year's Realtors Care Award nominations could be received from the general public instead of solely from VIREB membership as in past years. The additional input helped to increase the number of candidates for the honor.
Breedlove is a member of the Rotary Club of Parksville, where he served as president, received the Paul Harris Award, and is a youth exchange Officer. Breedlove is also a former director of the chamber of commerce in Qualicum Beach, past president of the Arbutus Toastmasters, a volunteer for the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign. Breedlove also helped organize a Haiti relief benefit, is a fundraiser for the Mosaic Youth Talent showcase and a former member and director of the Oceanside Development and Construction Association.
Together with his wife, Linda, and daughter Haley he participated in a tour of the Middle Schools in Districts 68 and 69 on an awareness campaign to help stop bullying. His family also sponsors a child through World Vision and he contributes to their Shelter Foundation.
— Submitted by Dave Holmes/VIREB