LINDA ' S LETTER
Photo by John De Cindis
An Evening Celebrating Charitable Giving & Extraordinary REI Leadership
By Linda Pliagas , Publisher / Editor
Hello REI Wealth Readers ,
It ' s a pleasure to welcome you to another edition . I always like to give a glimpse of what it ' s like to be a magazine publisher in my editorials . One of the joys of being in the business is attending industry events that spotlight the best in our business .
For me , one of those events has always been I Survived Real Estate ( ISRE ), which is an annual charity blacktie gala . It has been by far one of the most impactful annual events in our industry raising over $ 1M for wonderful children ' s charities .
Aaron Norris was honored posthumously as this year ' s recipient of The Rhony Award at ISRE 2023 .
For the past 16 years , the premiere formal extravaganza has united industry leaders from around the nation . The sophisticated charity gala was created by Aaron Norris as a way to give back to the real estate industry and to important charities making a significant difference in the lives of children .
Aaron , who passed in 2021 , was Executive Vice President of The
Norris Group , a renowned real estate educational company and hardmoney lender based in Riverside , California . Aaron was a prominent real estate Realtor and Mortgage Loan Originator . He was also distinguished as an entertainer on Broadway and later acquired an MBA from UC Irvine and was an Accredited Public Relations professional ( APR ). Aaron was also actively involved and engaged in his community and championed numerous causes . In fact , he raised nearly $ 2M for charity initiatives like Give BIG Riverside County in addition to the ISRE event series .
The mustattend industry gala , held every year at the magnificent Nixon Presidential Library , begins with photographs where guests can pose in a replica of The Oval Office . Delicious appetizers and lively networking follow in the Grand Hallway .
Many real estate leaders were present in elegant formal attire . This year , our publishing company , Realty411 , was a proud media sponsor . Many distinguished companies were proud sponsors of ISRE 2023 , including : uDirect IRA Services , LLC ; San Diego Creative Investors
Association ; Wilson Investment Properties ; IE REIC ( Inland Empire Real Estate Investment Club ); MTV productions ; NSDREI Association , Inc .; Inland Valleys Association of Realtors ; Keystone CPA , Inc .; NorCal REIA ; Tony Alverez , The Outspoken Investor ; FIBI , For Investors By Investors , Fair Trade Real Estate ; PropertyRader ; Levias Wealth Management ; Chase Photography ; and White House Catering .
This year , dinner started with a delicate cucumber ring salad followed by a delectable garlic and whitewine panseared chicken and Roma tomatoes braised beef short ribs accompanies with sundried tomatoes , mashed potatoes and vegetables . Marjolaine cake and coffee finished off the dinner created by Master Chef Maurice Brazier , who has been a personal chef to both a king and a president . This year , the wine was graciously donated by Rick and LeeAnne Rossiter .
The gala ' s delicious cuisine included a cucumber ring salad plus chicken and beef short ribs .
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