Ballin' Out for Charity

There are a many great events out there that bring people in the real estate industry together to help raise money for worthy causes. One that I support is Ballin’ Out for Charity, co-organized by BLACKLINE, RAD Marketing and TCS Marketing Systems. The day-long event was a fundraiser for the Daily Bread Food Bank.

Here’s a recap of the first-ever Ballin’ Out for Charity event, held on June 2, 2023.

The “Ballin’” in the event’s name refers to basketball. Specifically, a three-on-three tournament. The event was open to teams of all skill levels. The 16 teams that signed up played a total of 31 20-minute games. (Props to tournament winners Marlin Spring.) It was held at the Battle Arena in Markham, Ont., a basketball-themed event space.

Other onsite activities included four food trucks to feed the hungry ballers, Pop-a-Shot free throw arcade games, a live DJ, a caricature artist, raffles throughout the day and guest appearances by the Raptors’ mascot and team host Mark “Strizzy” Strong.

THE CAUSE

While everyone involved had a great time, the ultimate reason to put this event on was to raise money for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank. This organization provides food for those struggling to make ends meets at dozens of locations across the city.

In March 2023, the organization set an unwanted milestone: It had nearly 270,000 visits to its various food banks, the highest number in its 40-year history. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average was about 65,000 visits a monthly.

With inflation, shrinkflation and high interest rates, a record number of people of all ages are going hungry each day while living in the country’s economic capital. In fact, on average, every month, the food bank has 12,000 new people register for assistance.

In addition to registration fees ($2,500 for a team) and donations from supporters, there were sponsorship packages ranging from $2,500 to $30,000. The event was a huge success, with $70,000 raised – enough to feed 70,000 people.

For more information on the event, visit ballinoutforcharity.com.