Bayleys Auction Raises $137,000 For Guide Dogs

Bayleys Auction Raises $137,000 For Guide Dog Services

A charity auction conducted by the Bayleys Realty Group in Wellington last night (Thursday, April 2) raised $137,000 for Guide Dog Services.

The auction was held in conjunction with Bayleys' annual national management conference which was staged in Wellington this year and the funds raised will go to Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's (RNZFB) Guide Dog Services and will assist the Wellington region.

In addition, seven of Bayleys' franchise operations each committed to $22,500 sponsorships of individual guide dogs over which they will have naming rights. This covers the cost of breeding, raising, training and matching a guide dog to enable blind and vision-impaired people to lead more fulfilling and independent lives.

Bayleys' 46 offices around the country donated over 60 items for the auction, which delegates at the conference bid on.

Bayleys' managing director Jeff Davidson says the amount raised was a record for a Bayleys conference auction, eclipsing the $92,000 raised last year in Napier for the Hawke's Bay Coast Guard.

The top selling item was dinner for 12 at the home of Bayleys executive chairman John Bayley, which went for $10,000. A three-day cruise in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji, including airfares, fetched $7,000.

Bayleys Realty Group has recently entered into a three-year partnership with RNZFB'S Guide Dog Services as its principal sponsor. It will involve financial support as well as assisting Guide Dog Services with fundraising, promotional and marketing activities. Mr Davidson says Bayleys has already committed close to $400,000 for Guide Dog Services, with an ultimate target of helping the organisation provide 100 more guide dogs.

Bayleys' staff are currently assisting Guide Dog Services with its annual appeal which runs until Sunday 4 April.

ENDS

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