Real Estate Industry Comes Together to Compete, Raise Funds for Type One Diabetes Research on June 13

More than 60 major real estate firms to participate in friendly competition to fund research to cure type 1 diabetes at NYC’s fourth annual JDRF Real Estate Games

 The JDRF Real Estate Games returns to New York City’s Chelsea Piers on Thursday, June 13th to raise money for JDRF, the leading global organization funding type one diabetes (T1D) research, through an afternoon of competition among top real estate companies.

More than 60 top real estate companies will face off against one another in Dodgeball, a "Hot Shot" Basketball Competition, Rock Climbing Relay Races, and the crowd favorite Jenga™-like Tower Power challenge.

Participating teams include Bank of America, Blackstone, Boston Properties, Brookfield Office Properties, Clune Construction Company, Douglaston Development, The Durst Organization, Eastdil Secured, Empire Realty Trust, Fisher Brothers, Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, Glenwood Management, Hines, JLL, Langan, Newmark Knight Frank, REBNY, Rudin Management Company, Savills, SL Green Realty Corp., Tishman Realty, Tishman Speyer, Two Trees Management Company, and Vornado Realty Trust.

The Games’ sponsors include 99 Solutions, Colliers, AECOM, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, Cushman & Wakefield, Deloitte, Donald Zucker Company, Gensler, Gibson Dunn, Good Hill Partners, Global Strategy Group, Greenberg Traurig, Jamestown, Kasirer, L&L Holding Company, Lalezarian, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Loffredo Brooks, Marathon Strategies, Mercury Public Affairs, Muss Development, Proskauer Rose, Rockrose Development Corp., RXR Realty, SKDKnickerbocker, Solow Management, TF Cornerstone, and WeWork.

With support from Tishman Speyer for the team fundraising challenge, additional donors to the Games include the Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group, Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, Aethos, LLP, Avison Young, The Brodsky Organization, Carlyle Group, Gotham Organization, The Hudson Companies, Kensington Vanguard, Lazard, LCOR, Lettire Construction, Plaza Construction, Jack Resnick & Sons, and Wells Fargo.

Jim Whelan, Executive Vice President of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), serves on the JDRF New York City/Long Island Chapter’s Board of Directors. His teenage son Jack was diagnosed with T1D six years ago. Whelan, the event founder, and others organized the first local fundraising games in 2016. The JDRF Real Estate Games originated in the Washington, DC area 30 years ago, and last year expanded to Chicago with plans for further expansion in 2020.  The three events raised over $1.3 million for T1D research in 2019.

“Over the past four years, the NYC JDRF Real Estate Games has grown into another powerful demonstration of the real estate industry’s generous efforts to support worthy causes,” said Whelan.  “This event will not only showcase the competitive spirit of our industry but will advance efforts towards improving the lives of millions of Americans through better management and the eventual cure of T1D. 

John Johnson, Managing Director of Savills and Co-Chair of this year’s Games said, “I’m very proud to be a founding partner and co-chair of the Fourth Annual JDRF Real Estate Games NYC.  This year, we have upped our goal to $375,000! The Games give the real estate community a unique opportunity to combine philanthropy, team building and a little fun. Where else can Savills come together and play a game of dodgeball against Vornado, JLL or SL Green?”

David Kaufman, Senior Vice President of Leasing at SL Green Realty Corp. and Co-Chair of the Games echoes the importance of the industry rallying to this cause.  “Type 1 Diabetes became part of my family’s life a little over two years ago.  Since that time I have been searching for a way to provide my support to JDRF in advancing diabetes related medicine and technology.  My ongoing participation with the JDRF Real Estate Games New York event has provided the perfect opportunity.  I am hopeful the awareness and funds generated by this event provide needed support to the ultimate goal of finding a cure.  It has been heartwarming to see the amount of support the New York City real estate community has provided in connection with this great cause.”

“Because my family has been touched by type 1 diabetes, I know the importance of raising funds for JDRF and supporting the vital work that they do,” said David Rothenberg, President of Tishman Realty. “The fact that we continue to grow this event and deepen the ties between the real estate industry and JDRF is something I am proud to be part of.”

Maureen A. Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the JDRF New York City/Long Island Chapter adds that “JDRF is extremely grateful for the generous support from the New York real estate community as they have come together to raise over a million dollars in the four years since the Real Estate Games came to our city. This is a great opportunity to get an incredibly energetic and philanthropic industry together, whether you have type one diabetes, know someone who does, or want to simply participate in an event that makes a huge impact on so many lives,” she stated. “We are so grateful for the hard work of our amazing committee and so fortunate to have the unwavering support of the numerous real estate industry partners who make it possible for JDRF to direct even more funding toward important T1D research for the 1.25 million people with this serious disease.”

In addition to our event founder, Jim Whelan, and co-chairs, John Johnson and David Kaufman, an illustrious committee came together to make this the biggest and best Real Estate Games yet.  This year’s committee includes David Rothenberg of Tishman Realty Corporation, Julie Greenberg of Kasirer, Chrissy Kreisel of Tishman Speyer, Raphael Fishbach of Mesa Capital West, and Katie Schiavi of OTJ Architects.  Thank you to the committee for their incredible work!

To participate in the conversation about the JDRF Real Estate Games, check us out on Twitter, @JDRFREGames, Instagram, @jdrf_nycli, and use the hashtag #JDRFREGames.

For additional information about the event and ways to support JDRF, please visit nyc.jdrf.org/REGames or contact Nathan Tuchman, JDRF’s Development Manager at (212) 478-4315 or ntuchman@jdrf.org.

For additional information about the Real Estate Board of New York, the City’s leading real estate trade association, visit www.REBNY.com or contact press@rebny.com.