CT REALTY’S DEBBIE BAKER WINS PRESTIGIOUS JEFFERSON AWARD

Baker to be Profiled on ABC7’s “Eyewitness News” on Oct. 16

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. – Debbie Baker, office manager for CT Realty Corp. in Newport Beach, Calif., has been awarded a Jefferson Award by ABC7 television station in Los Angeles for her 10-year battle to help find a cure for prostate cancer. Baker is the founder of Cruisin’ For A Cure (www.cruisinforacure.com), a one-day charity car show held at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., each year that has evolved into one of the largest events of its kind in the world. The 10th annual show was held Sat., Sept. 26, with more than 3,000 cars on display and 15,000 people in attendance. All proceeds were donated to City of Hope’s Prostate Cancer Program.

According to Baker, a record 1,160 men participated in free tests for early signs of prostate cancer at this year’s event. Among those tested, 13 percent were advised to seek additional testing. Next year’s car show has been scheduled for Sept. 25, 2010.

The Jefferson Awards, founded by Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis in 1972 to encourage and honor people for their contributions through community service, are chosen monthly by ABC7 for the Los Angeles area and are profiled on ABC7’s “Eyewitness News.” Baker’s segment will air on Friday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m.

The honorees receive a Jefferson Awards Medal, a $1,000 donation to the charity or community organization of their choice, and recognition at a special event hosted by ABC7. Baker donated the $1,000 she received to City of Hope’s Prostate Cancer Program.

As a local winner, she is also in contention for a National Jefferson Award. A panel of community leaders will select one local honoree to attend the National Jefferson Awards festivities in June in Washington, D.C. If selected, Baker would also be eligible for the prestigious Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award.

“Debbie’s commitment and tireless efforts on behalf of such a worthy cause set a shining example for us all to aspire to,” said Robert M. Campbell, chairman of CT Realty.

Baker credited much of the success of Cruisin’ For A Cure to CT Realty’s commitment to serving the community.

“I am very fortunate to work for a company that supports me 100 percent when it comes to this event,” Baker said. “They understand the amount of time it takes to spearhead an effort of this magnitude, and I am really grateful for their encouragement and allowing me to work on the campaign during working hours. This gift of time has been one of the main reasons why the event has grown so much over the past decade.”

CT Realty’s dedication to serving the community stems from management and staff’s longtime belief that success goes beyond the company’s bottom line.

In 2003, Campbell helped lead the creation of the Building Block Foundation Fund, a philanthropic organization established by the commercial real estate industry that raises funds and provides hands-on help for programs supporting Orange County’s underprivileged youth.

The Building Block Foundation Fund supports Orangewood’s Guardian Scholars, which helps former foster youth gain a university, community college or trade school education. The fund also supports KIDSWORKS, Project Access and Taller San Jose, in which deserving youth are given hope, a chance for a better life and the means to succeed. Campbell was recognized in 2007 with the “Keys to Success Award” presented by Project Access for “turning real estate success into real success for at-risk youth.”

In addition to youth-oriented charitable programs, CT Realty is also a major supporter of UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business Real Estate Center.

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