August 23, 2018 (Chicago, IL) - Twelve men on a Chicago beach may not seem out of the ordinary during the summer, but their purpose was extraordinary. During the month of July, top-performing real estate brokers from brokerages across the city convened at North Avenue Beach to shoot the inaugural issue of a charity swimsuit calendar aiming to raise $250,000 for 2019 charity partner Chicago House and Social Service Agency.

 

Brokerages represented by models included Keller Williams Chicago Lincoln Park, Compass, EXIT Strategy Realty, @Properties, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff. The photoshoot was covered by Mike Lowe of WGN News and the photographer was Rhegan Graham, a rising sophomore studying film production at Emerson College in Boston. The calendars are a flagship project of Chicago non-profit Men of Chicago Real Estate, and can be purchased at the organization's website. More information and ongoing updates are posted on Instagram (@menofchicagorealestate).

 

Chicago House’s CEO, Scott Amerall, said, "Chicago House is honored to be the charitable recipient of the Men of Chicago Real Estate calendar project.  For more than 30 years, Chicago House has provided housing and a vast array of social services to people living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS and those who are vulnerable to transmission.  Support from initiatives like this help Chicago House continue to provide services to over 3,000 people annually. We are grateful to all of the people behind and in front of the camera on this project, as well as to everyone who purchases the calendar!"

 

Tony Mattar, Founder of Men of Chicago Real Estate said, “I feel so lucky to be part of an industry that allows for each individual to stay true to their own personality and personal brand, with no barriers to success. This calendar and the men in it are amazing examples of the fact that advancing initiatives like this can be fun and shouldn’t occur in a vacuum. I’m grateful to the models, our photographer Rhegan, and each and every person who has contributed to the success of this project!”

 

Background: Founded in 2018 by Tony Mattar, Men of Chicago Real Estate aims to allow some of the brightest stars in Chicago real estate to support populations they may not have the opportunity to serve in their daily business. Drawing on collaborative efforts from brokers at multiple brands and brokerages, the non-profit’s goal is to provide an outlet for business professionals to make local contributions in a fun and engaging way. The organization was inspired by the many other philanthropic activities of the real estate community and hopes to continue to leave a lasting legacy of charitable work within the industry.

 

Selecting a new charity partner every year allows Men of Chicago Real Estate to infuse support into diverse areas of the Chicagoland community on a wide scale. The sale of its yearly calendar will fund programs that impact thousands of individuals every year. Suggestions for future partnerships can be submitted via the contact page of the organization's website.

 

Note: Men of Chicago Real Estate is an independently operated organization and is not in partnership with any brokerages.