Realtors donate to Hospice Care

Derek Haines attracted another $100,000 donation just before his latest marathon run, in San Francisco on Sunday.

The Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association handed over that amount to bring Mr. Haines closer to his hospice fundraising goal of $1 million for the year by running six marathons.

The check was presented to Haines at an event in Caymana Bay on Tuesday attended by dozens of CIREBA members as Haines prepared to run the fourth marathon to raise money for the construction of a new Cayman Hospice Care facility.

This donation takes the amount donated or pledged to more than $600,000, with more donations expected in the next week.

“Derek is halfway through his marathons, but with the support of CIREBA’s professional agents and brokers, he is now two-thirds of the way towards raising $1 million for Cayman Hospice Care,” said CIREBA president Michael Day of Regal Realty.

“Derek inspired us to bring CIREBA to the partner level of donations and give $100,000 over the course of the next two years. As leaders in Cayman’s real estate industry, we wanted to recognize someone else who is seen as true local leader, committed to his community.”

The partner level donation means CIREBA will be recognized with a room named for the organization when a four-bed in-patient care center is constructed in Caymana Bay.

More than 175 CIREBA agents and brokers will be able to use the Cayman Hospice Care logo and label themselves as a “Supporter of Hospice.”

With CIREBA members handling 85 percent of Cayman’s real estate sales, any promotional material with a “Supporter of Hospice” logo will likely be seen by thousands of potential buyers and sellers who may also be motivated to donate to Mr. Haines’s campaign.

“We want to help a cause that truly benefits all of Cayman, potentially,” said Mr. Day. “Cayman Hospice Care is available free to patients facing a terminal illness and they also provide counseling for patients’ families at a time of great stress.

“It is a fantastic organization, and we’re proud that every CIREBA agent and broker is associated with Derek, a real hero in the eyes of Caymanians and someone whose efforts are being recognized around the world.”

So far this year, Mr. Haines, 65, has completed runs in Paris (April 6), London (April 13) and Pamplona (June 28).

After the San Francisco run, his next marathons will be in Dublin, Ireland, on Oct. 27 and the Cayman Marathon on Dec. 7. San Francisco is the 40th marathon Mr. Haines is running in a career that spans more than 40 years. There is a 6K run organized for Sunday at Caymana Bay, starting at 7 a.m. to coincide with Haines’s 26.2 mile San Francisco run.