Ray White brings Christmas joy

RAY White Bendigo is once again running its popular Christmas toy drive.

During the Little Ray of Giving initiative, people can donate a toy or small gift for those less fortunate, ensuring as many kids as possible can experience unwrapping a gift on Christmas Day.

Managing director at Ray White Bendigo Rory Somerville said a lot of families may do it tough during this time, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic the toy drive is “more important than ever.”

“It’s a matter of anyone buying what they can afford,” he said. “It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, it can be a $5, $10, $20 gift, but it’s just a good opportunity to give back to those that are less fortunate.”

Every year, Ray White Bendigo joins forces with housing provider Haven; Home, Safe and Mr Somerville said they were keen to continue the partnership.

“It’s always a really successful campaign,” he said. “We actually had Haven reach out to us this year, confirming that we’re going to run it, which just shows how important it is to their outreach program.”

Hot off the back of placing third in the Office with the Top Growth category at the Ray White Victoria Tasmania Annual Awards last month, Mr Somerville said the top-level agency wants to give back to the community.

“The industry we’re in, being the property market, is obviously built on providing housing for the greater community, whether it be purchasing or renting property and I guess it’s just a little thing we can do to support the community that’s been so great in supporting us,” he said.

To take part in the toy drive, gifts can be dropped off at the Ray White Bendigo office, located at 27 Queen St, Bendigo, between 9am and 5pm.

They ask gifts remain unwrapped to make sure they are suitable and appropriate for recipients.

A Little Ray of Giving has been running at Ray White offices across Australia and New Zealand since 2012 with thousands of gifts donated to not-for-profit organisations and charities.