Edmonton Area Mortgage Brokers Take On REALTORS® in Baby Heroes Diaper Challenge

Edmonton, Alberta, October 8, 2010 – When Gordon McCallum, president of First Foundation Residential Mortgages and director on the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association (AMBA) board, found out that the Edmonton REALTORS® Community Foundation had pledged to raise 23,000 diapers for the Terra–Centre's second annual Baby Heroes diaper drive campaign this year, he decided that Edmonton area mortgage brokers could easily beat this goal if they worked together.

"AMBA is issuing this challenge to all Edmonton and area mortgage associates," says McCallum. "I'm confident that we'll win the challenge, but every broker has to get involved and help spread the word." Between October 6 and 22, 2010 mortgage associates can collect diapers and drop them off at First Foundation's Edmonton office at 10043 81 Ave. NW Mondays–Fridays, 9 am–5 pm. A collective drop-off is also being planned for the end of the campaign. As an added incentive, McCallum has committed to dropping off a load of diapers in a diaper himself, complete with bib and soother, if the REALTORS® Foundation wins the challenge.

The Baby Heroes diaper drive campaign is run by the non-profit organization Terra – Centre for pregnant & parenting teens. The goal of the campaign is two-fold: to collect 150,000 diapers from sizes newborn to toddler and to help raise awareness of the challenges faced by teenage parents. The decision to participate in the diaper challenge was an easy one for McCallum and his team at First Foundation. "We wanted to get more involved with the local community and help support the young families who are part of it," explains McCallum. "We know how expensive it can be for families who are just starting out. This campaign is a great way for us to help young families start off on the right foot."

First Foundation is supporting the Baby Heroes campaign in a number of different ways. It plans to pledge a minimum $2,500 to the cause and promote it on the company's high-traffic mortgage blog, Facebook page and Twitter account. The public can help out by donating diapers, donating cash, or for every individual that selects "Like" on the First Foundation Facebook page or retweets the following statement on Twitter: "First Foundation is helping pregnant or parenting teens. Retweet this and they'll buy $2 of diapers. #babyheroes #yeg http://ht.ly/2PxaA," First Foundation will donate $2 worth of diapers, up to a maximum total of $2,500 (in addition to their $2,500 commitment).

About First Foundation:
First Foundation is an independent mortgage brokerage that helps Alberta's homebuyers and owners secure a mortgage at the best rate available from Canada's top mortgage lenders. Motivated by a desire to help people achieve home ownership with savings and security, First Foundation always acts in the best interest of its clients. As a leading mortgage brokerage, it provides competitive mortgage rates, in addition to insurance and financial services. First Foundation has a head office in Edmonton and a virtual branch in Calgary, and has been serving the needs of Western Canadian property owners and buyers since June 2002. www.firstfoundation.ca

About Terra Association (Terra–Centre):
The Terra–Centre for pregnant and parenting teens is a not-for-profit organization that has been serving youth in Edmonton for 39 years. Each year, approximately 600 young families access their support services, which focus on high school completion and strengthening the capacity of teen parents to be successful parents. Through Terra, young parents graduate from school, make career plans, have healthier relationships, and connect with community supports.
www.terraassociation.com