Strike…spare…gutter ball?

Hopefully not, but it’s all good as the Alabama Realtors Young Professionals Network team up with the Gulf Bowl Bowling Alley in Foley to put on a fundraising event to benefit the tornado victims in Northern Alabama.

Scheduled for Sunday, August 7 (11 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Monday, August 8 (4 p.m.-10 p.m.), six lanes will be available for anyone who wants to participate at $4.50 for two games with Gulf Bowl giving free shoe rentals and discounted games, said Jay Jennings, YPN State Chairman and director of sales and marketing for Pendulum Properties, LLC in Foley.

“We wanted to do something to help out and we are teaming up with Mobile, Baldwin, Tuscalooosa, Huntsville, Birmingham and Lee Counties to select a young realtor family from a smaller town directly affected by the tornadoes, We know all the bigger cities are getting lots of assistance and we want to do our part to bring some relief to a smaller area that may not be getting as much,” Jennings said.

Pledges and monetary donations are being taken now and will continue to be received until August 15, Jennings said, and they are also trying to get community sponsors to donate “per-pin-pledges” for two games.

“There were 18,000 houses destroyed and 70,000 people displaced by these tornados. Some lost everything they had and we just want to find a family who we can really help. Everyone is really rallying together for this and its very rewarding being able to do this project,” Jennings said.

Created last year after the BP Oil Spill, the Alabama chapter of the YPN started out with 50 people and now has grown to two chapters and 400 members in Alabama. Jennings said the interest grew last year when the real estate business was affected by the spill and there was a need to find some other options and projects to do until the market picked back up.

According to their website, YPN was originally launched back in 2006 by the National Association of Realtors in their REALTOR magazine as a way for the younger generation of realtors to build a stronger link with the real estate industry, where the average age of an agent is 52. “Young professionals are the future of the real estate business and need a way to tap into valuable resources that will help them succeed in business.”

Through the success of the national chapter, interest for local chapters grew and they were created and are growing every month. YPN’s mission “helps young real estate professionals excel in their careers by giving them the tools and encouragement to become involved in four core areas: Realtors Associations, Real Estate Industry, Peers and Community.”

The Alabama Chapter strives to connect young realtors with one another, build strong relationships and grow together in the industry and achieve its goals by:

- Holding one YPN event at the three state meetings

- Encourage young members to become active at the local and state level and continue to be active throughout their career

- Help members stay up-to-date on the ever changing real estate industry with information on education courses, seminars and guest speakers offered by the state association and local associations.

For more information about the bowling event, monetary donations or YPN, contact Jennings at (251)223-1243 or email at radiorealtor@yahoo.com.