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A major auction event, dubbed “Blue Friday”, raised a $90,000 donation for mental health charity Beyond Blue.
On 22 September, real estate network Harcourts broke records when it hosted a nationwide auction event that reportedly “saw the largest ever number of properties go under the hammer in Australia”.
And there was a twist: for each cry of “sold”, Harcourts donated $100 to Beyond Blue, a mental health and wellbeing organisation that provides essential support to Australians living with depression and anxiety.
The results of the super event are now in, and the brand has reported that a sum total of $90,000 was raised for Beyond Blue on that day.
Beyond Blue chief engagement officer Greg Jennings expressed gratitude for the donation, sharing “$90,000 goes a long way to fund our support services, which relies on community donations”.
With the summer holiday period coming up, Mr Jennings observed that “the timing couldn’t be better”.
“We know that the end of the year can be a stressful time for many people, especially with cost-of-living pressures hitting households hard,” he said. “For many, the holiday season also brings with it feelings of loneliness and social isolation.”
In fact, Mr Jennings revealed that last year Beyond Blue received a staggering 41 per cent more calls in December than the monthly average. “We expect the same demand this year,” he said.
Harcourts’ Blue Friday donation will help fund trained counsellors to provide free advice, support and referrals to hotline callers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Anyone can reach out to Beyond Blue at any time,” reminded Mr Jennings. “The earlier you get support, the better.”
Mike Green, managing director of Harcourts, noted that real estate agents have also noticed an increase in anxiety amongst their clients, as property owners and renters across Australia grapple with uncertainty and instability in the economy.
“We see it as our role to help those in our community who need a helping hand, so we are thrilled to get behind Beyond Blue,” Mr Green said.
“Beyond Blue has been, and continues to be, that big blue door for many in the community – a safe and reliable place for millions of people to access information advice and support,” said the Harcourts managing director.
“We are delighted that Harcourts’ Blue Friday supported the other big blue organisation in town,” Mr Green concluded.
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