Local Realtors join "NARdigras"
Participants say New Orleans is a call to action
When Hurricane Katrina swept away blocks of the New Orleans landscape in 2005, the National Association of Realtors faced a dilemma. The trade association had made plans to hold its 2006 convention in the Crescent City. But instead of moving the conference to nearby Houston, over 25,000 Realtors swarmed the region last month to spend time hammering, framing, and cleaning in Musician’s Village and City Park.
In addition to the manual labor, the first convention held in the City since the disaster, dubbed NARdigras, kicked in an additional $35 to $40 million in revenue, thanks to travel expenses and other spending by the group in the largest event to take place in New Orleans 2006.
Almost 60 members of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors made the trek, working alongside other Realtors and volunteer from Habitat for Humanity and AmeriCorps. Jim Wetzel, executive vice president of the Worcester Association of Realtors, says that despite initial nervousness about the risk of crime and disease, the venture was worth it. "We rallied to make this a major effort to help out," he says.
Part of that effort included building homes to transport to the region in the months leading up to the event. Each regional association worked side-by-side with Habitat for Humanity in their locales to build "Homes in a Box," with a goal of 54 new homes, or one from each association, for the storm victims. In addition, NAR charged each association with the task of raising $70,000 to sponsor the home. The MAR effort was directly funded in the Bay State, says Wetzel.
Wetzel and other area Realtors performed a variety of tasks to help rebuild the area, including painting, installing siding, pouring cement, as well as helping to clear trash and debris out of City Park, a 1,300 acre urban park. While Wetzel hammered on siding, WRAR president and Westboro-based Realtor Dan Robertson cleaned City Park. Between the warm temperatures and the damage caused by eight feet of water when the levees broke, Robertson says the overgrowth created an environment reminiscent of a tropical jungle. While he felt satisfied with the help he lent, Robertson says it’s not enough.
"We all agreed that after seeing the homes, this is a call to action," he says. "We’re in the process of preparing letters to our state representatives and congressmen."
Dino and David Newell of the North Central Association of Realtors left Leominster for the Big Easy, and experienced two different worlds at the convention. While the downtown area near the hotel was practically free of damage, the bus ride to Musician’s Village showed how far the region has to go before it becomes inhabitable. "I’ve been in Florida after the hurricanes," says David. "In comparison, New Orleans seems to be a little slow in coming back." Dino, who owns Dino’s Realty Team, says that while the company has dealt with run-down homes before, the Gulf Coast was an eye opener. "I’ve never seen devastation like that," says Dino.
For next year, WRAR’s Wetzel is hoping to send a team of Realtors back down to the Gulf Coast to continue to help. Those volunteers would pay to cover the trip expenses, and stay in shelters instead of Sheratons.
"We need to come up with ways to keep this effort going," says Wetzel.
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