Even in Weak Economy, RE/MAX Northern Illinois Real Estate Network Continues Charitable Mission. Children’s Miracle Network Honors Company for Its Work.

Jim Merrion, Alice Archabal, Laura Ortoleva

ELGIN, Ill., June 8, 2010 -- For 17 years, the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network has been a generous donor to the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), supporting its mission of providing financial assistance to more than 170 children’s hospitals across the country. Now, CMN has honored two local RE/MAX executives for their role in fostering that relationship and achieving a remarkable record of fund-raising, even over the last several years when strong economic headwinds prevailed.

On behalf of CMN, Alice Archabal, chief operating officer of Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, presented a special award to Jim Merrion, regional director of the RE/MAX Northern Illinois region, and Laura Ortoleva, the region’s communications strategist, honoring their work for CMN and the hospital. Archabal noted that both executives have played an important role in helping the nationwide RE/MAX network raise more than $100 million for CMN over the last 18 years.

Merrion, a resident of Burr Ridge, Ill., has served as regional director of RE/MAX Northern Illinois since 2003 and has been a leader of the Illinois residential real estate industry for more than 35 years. Ortoleva has directed the overall communications effort for RE/MAX in northern Illinois since 1991. She lives in Crystal Lake, Ill.

Last year was a particularly strong one for the relationship between CMN and RE/MAX Northern Illinois. Despite the still-struggling economy and residential real estate market, 35 percent of RE/MAX Northern Illinois offices qualified as CMN Miracle Offices. In every Miracle Office, all affiliated RE/MAX agents volunteer to provide an annual donation to CMN.

Miracle Office participation in 2009 represented an increase from the previous year when 33 percent of locations qualified as Miracle Offices. It made the RE/MAX Northern Illinois region one of the few in the country to see its participation rate rise.

Last year, RE/MAX Northern Illinois raised more than $120,000 for CMN with 100 percent of these funds going to Children’s Memorial Hospital.