“Our committee was deeply impressed by Dale’s relentless commitment to charitable efforts that support community development,” says Darcy McLeod, Chair of CREA’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Committee and a member of the selection committee for the award.
“During the 37 years of his career as a REALTOR®, he has gone above and beyond to contribute to charities such as the Red Deer Food Bank and the Ronald McDonald House, all the while rallying his community to join his efforts. His impact has been immense, providing meals to nearly 30,000 central Albertans in need, and helping raise an astonishing $12.1 million for the Ronald McDonald House Red Deer.”
Devereaux moved to Red Deer in the 1980s, joining the Piper Creek Optimist Club, and spearheading Sunday night bingo, which raised $100,000 yearly.
The club raised more than $1 million for projects like the children’s library, the NICU at Red Deer Regional Hospital, and Boys and Girls Club camps.
He eventually started his ‘Feed a family at Christmas’ campaign in 1998, consistently feeding more than 100 families each year.
“When I was approached to help find a suitable site for the new Ronald McDonald House, I started doing research and I found a lot that was close to the hospital and faces a main road in Red Deer. I think everyone just assumed this was just an escarpment land as it had never been on the market. The company that owned it was out of the US, so I got a hold of them, and we made a deal,” says Devereaux.
“CREA’s Canadian REALTORS Care Award is very special to me. Real estate has been my career and my life, I’m proud to be a REALTOR and I’m happy to be able to donate my time and resources to causes that are important to our city. This award means so much to me because it highlights the work of REALTORS across our county—we are by the nature of our jobs, entrenched in our communities, and many of us spend countless hours volunteering our time to support them.”
The award was presented at the most recent CREA AGM. CREA will give $5,000 to Devereaux’s charity of choice, the Red Deer Food Bank.
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