Generosity and dollars flowed for Boorowa Rugby Club player Nathan Stapleton at the official opening of the Ray White Rural Canberra | Yass | Murrumbateman office in Yass on Friday 14 October.
Nathan suffered a severe spinal cord injury earlier this year while playing rugby for his local club, the Boorowa Goldies.
Hosted by AuctionsPlus, the charity auction raised close to $10,000 to help support the young father of two during his long recovery. The auction attracted bids from as far afield as Vietnam and was the first charity auction hosted by AuctionsPlus to gain international attention.
One lucky attendee won the door prize of a Brumbies gold season family pass and bidders took home signed rugby jerseys that were donated by real estate portal, Allhomes.
More than 150 people attended the celebration of the newly occupied and renovated office, including Brumbies and Wallaby great Stephen Larkham who officially declared the new office open. Brumby player Tom Cusack was also in attendance, along with Brumby Jack, the official mascot of the Brumbies.
With 30 years at the Ray White Rural network and five generations of the family in the region, Ray White Rural Canberra | Yass | Murrumbateman CEO and lead agent George Southwell said it was an honour for the family-owned business to grow and continue servicing the area.
“It is an extremely proud moment to introduce the biggest professional services office in the Yass Valley,” George said.
“The Southwell family is proudly and inherently local. We live where we sell, we are a family-owned operation, so when you work with us you are dealing with the owners of the business. We’re also local farmers, so we’re part of the industry our clients are in, too.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to grow with a team of 10 staff supporting us into a very exciting future.”
George was presented with the highest accolade for an agent this year at the opening, Chairman’s Elite, putting him in the top three per cent of all agents in Australia. He has risen to the highest Ray White ranks including auction agent of the year for four years running and Elite Performer for two years.
Guests enjoyed food and wine by local businesses Fairley Good Food, Murrumbateman Chocolate Company, and Vintner’s Daughter.
The event also featured some unique highlights: a guess the weight of the Highlander cow, and guess the micron and weight of the fleece, sponsored by Gordon Litchfield Wool. The competitions provided plenty of amusement on the night.
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