Ana Teresa Rodriguez, who leads the top-producing ATR Luxury Homes Group real estate team with Coldwell Banker Realty, helped put smiles on the faces of 1,715 greater Miami children this holiday season. For the fourth straight year, she and her friends held the Friendsgiving Toy Drive, an initiative that collects brand new bikes to give to area children in need.
The more than 1,700 bikes were donated to more than a half dozen local charities for redistribution, including Lotus House, Overtown Community, School District 8, City of Sweetwater Community, St. Ann as well as a handful of smaller charities.
A Friendsgiving dinner was held on Fisher Island in November to kick off the event. Then, from December 14th to 20th, several Friendsgiving Toy Drive distribution events were hosted to personally deliver bikes to children in need. Even Santa took part in the festivities.
“We started this event to be a symbol of hope, joy, and possibility. A bike is a gift of freedom, giving children the chance to explore the outdoors, get exercise and build their confidence,” explained Ana Teresa Rodriguez. “It was such a blessing to be able to surprise so many children this holiday season. It would not have been possible to do a donation drive of this scope without the help and financial support of so many friends and fellow community members.”
The Friendsgiving Toy Drive was created by Ana Teresa Rodriguez and Luis Garcia, along with a dedicated group of supporters, including Karen and Eduardo Abbo, Maggie and Guillermo Fernández, Bernardo and Maggy Duran, Ricky and Cristy López, Mabel and Walter Álvarez, Anette and Rick Buckley, Mercys Gómez and Brynert Marquez, Audrea and Felipe Caro, and Stephanie Sayfie and Morten Aagaard, among other friends that joined them to make more children’s Christmas holiday special.
The bikes donated through School District 8, as an example, were distributed to middle school students based on specific criteria, including:
- Students from low-income families with the best academic performance
- Students who showed significant improvement in grades and behavior
- Students who actively contributed to their schools and communities
- Students who excelled in reading
This district focuses on fostering student development, and the Friendsgiving Toy Drive contribution aims to support and motivate these outstanding students.
This fundraising effort continues to grow in scope and size each year. This year’s fundraising efforts greatly exceeded last year’s 1,200 bikes donated.
Breakdown of bike donations:
- Lotus House: 150 bikes
- Overtown Community: 650 bikes
- School District 8: 425 bikes
- City of Sweetwater Community: 350 bikes
- St. Ann: 40 bikes
- Other Small Nonprofits: Approximately 100 bikes
About Coldwell Banker Realty in Florida
Coldwell Banker Realty in Florida is a leading residential real estate brokerage company with approximately 73 offices and 8,100 affiliated sales associates. Coldwell Banker Realty is owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Real Estate Inc. (NYSE:HOUS), the largest full-service residential real estate services company in the United States. Visit ColdwellBankerHomes.com.
