De-Clutter for a Cause: Annual Royal LePage National Garage Sale for Shelter Returns On May 11, 2013

#GarageSale4Shelter @RLPShelterFdn @Royal_LePage

100 percent of funds raised at charity garage sale supports local women's shelters and programs to end family violence

TORONTO, April 25, 2013 /CNW/ - On Saturday, May 11, more than 120 Royal LePage offices and other community locations across Canada will be transformed into a destination for bargain hunters with the return of the National Garage Sale for Shelter in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation - an organization committed to supporting women's shelters and ending violence against women and children. 

Now in its fifth year, this Mother's Day weekend event brings local residents together with Royal LePage REALTORS® to raise much-needed funds and awareness to help break the cycle of family violence. Since 2009, the National Garage Sale for Shelter has raised more than $1.2 million in support of women's shelters across the country and to help fund prevention programs to end violence in Canadian homes.

"Violence against women happens in all communities and at every age and income level," says Shanan Spencer-Brown, Executive Director of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. "Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16 and 360,000 children are exposed to domestic violence every year. On average, every six days, a Canadian woman is killed by her partner. That's why we are so committed to providing a safe haven for women and children who have experienced abuse."

All administrative expenses of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation are underwritten by Royal LePage and the event's sponsors cover all other costs, so 100 percent of the revenue generated supports local women's shelters and helps give hope to thousands of women and children escaping family violence.

Members of the community are encouraged to participate and help de-clutter for a cause. Donate gently used items to your local participating Royal LePage office and stop by the National Garage Sale for Shelter location in your neighbourhood on Saturday, May 11 to find some great bargains and help support a worthy cause.

Event Details:

• What: 5^th Annual National Garage Sale for Shelter
• When: Saturday, May 11, 2013
• Where: Across Canada! Click here to find your closest National Garage Sale for Shelter location
• Why: To support the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, Canada's largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women's shelters and violence prevention and education

Want more info? Click here to watch a video about the National Garage Sale for Shelter. Click here for a fact sheet on the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

Can't attend but still want to make a donation? Click here to make an online donation.

Now in its 15^th year, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation supports over 200 shelters and domestic violence agencies across the country, helping more than 30,000 women and children every year. It's also committed to funding violence prevention and education programs through its partnership with the Canadian Women's Foundation. Since its inception, the Shelter Foundation has raised more than $16 million with the help and support of generous Royal LePage agents, brokers, managers and administrative staff, along with members of the communities in which they live and work.

"Helping You Is What We Do™ is not just a tagline, it's our corporate philosophy and it translates into a collective commitment to giving back to the community," says Phil Soper, Royal LePage's President and CEO. "Royal LePage professionals are tireless in their efforts to create safer homes and safer communities through the Shelter Foundation."

The National Garage Sale for Shelter is also made possible with the generous support of its national sponsors: TD Canada Trust Mobile Mortgage Specialists (National Presenting sponsor), Atlas Van Lines Canada (In-kind Moving and Transportation sponsor) and Your Commission Today (Major Event Sponsor).

For more information on the National Garage Sale for Shelter, how you can participate and to find your local Garage Sale site, please visit www.royallepage.ca/shelter.

About the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is Canada's largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women's shelters and ending violence against women and children. Through agent commission donations and the fundraising activities of the Royal LePage network, we have raised more than $16 million to help provide a safe haven and new beginnings for more than 30,000 women and children each year. To break the cycle of violence, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation also supports long-term violence prevention and education programs. All funds raised by Royal LePage offices remain in their local community and because Royal LePage pays all administrative costs, 100 percent of all money and effort goes toward this important cause.

About Royal LePage

Serving Canadians since 1913, Royal LePage is the country's leading provider of services to real estate brokerages, with a network of 14,500 real estate professionals in over 600 locations nationwide. Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, dedicated to funding women's shelters and prevention and education programs aimed at ending family violence. To commemorate the 100^th Anniversary of Royal LePage in 2013, a series of celebrations and fundraising events are taking place, including 100 Days for Shelter, a campaign to raise funds and awareness for the Royal Lepage Shelter Foundation, launching on Royal LePage's official "birthday" (July 2, 2013).

Royal LePage is a Brookfield Real Estate Services Inc. company, a TSX-listed corporation trading under the symbol TSX:BRE.

For more information visit www.royallepage.ca.

SOURCE: Royal LePage Shelter Foundation