Newsletter Vol 12 - Preview Properties

Ebe Cecchetti Hennigan
1958-2009
Preview Properties.com sends their prayers and condolences to Erik Hennigan and Jason Cecchetti on the
death of their Mother and our associate, Ebe Hennigan. Ebe, a longtime resident of Pinckney, was licensed
with Preview McKay in 1990. At the time, she was a Regional Manager for Deloitte & Touche where she
worked for 28 years. After getting her real estate license, Ebe always attended Preview Properties annual
continuing education training. Each year, Ebe would say that someday she would do real estate full time.
Finally, Ebe said that a family crisis made her make the decision to leave the corporate world to join Preview
Properties full time in 2003. According to Ebe, she loved real estate and found it much more fulfilling than
the corporate world.
One reason Ebe enjoyed real estate had to be her desire to help her family and friends realize their dreams. Ebe was co-chairman
of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church building and move committee a few years ago as they moved to their magnificent new church and
school. Recognized as one of St. Mary’s finest parishioners, Ebe organized the Punxigras Celebration last year as well as the island
flower planting that beautified the parish last summer. In addition to her church activities, Ebe loved gardening, cooking, reading,
and traveling, especially to visit her relatives in her homeland of San Marino and Italy.
Ebe was an adoring mother to her two sons, Erik and Jason and she was so proud of their accomplishments in school and in their
chosen careers in the United States Army. In recent months, we missed seeing Ebe on a daily basis as she worked for TCF Bank,
but as recently as the Christmas holidays, she was showing properties on the weekends. We will miss Ebe’s smile, laugh, and enthusiasm
for family, life, and real estate and our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
Community Community Service
Service
Two years ago, in an effort to become more involved in our community, Preview Properties.com’s management,
agents, and staff began working together to help area non-profits. Many dollars, many hours, lots of
good food, and some fun times later, we have made a difference.
In 2008, Preview Properties.com hosted Blood Drives for the American Red Cross on January 5, May 10,
and August 28 collecting almost 60 units of blood on the three days. We are planning quarterly blood drives
for 2009 with the first drive February 13. The February 13 Red Cross Blood Drive saved 39 lives with 18
blood donors. Our next blood drive is May 29.
Who would have ever guessed that Preview Properties.com’s agents would be competitive? The Penny
Wars began in February with friendly competition between the upstairs, downstairs, and staff and assistants.
Nearly $500 was raised for Gleaners, our local community food bank, through this project.
Terri Weisman chose to prepare breakfast before the Tuesday sales meetings to raise money for her participation in the Walk for
the Cure. Her delicious breakfasts earned $372. In addition, the breakfast idea caught on and upstairs, downstairs, and staff
started doing breakfasts for Lacasa and Gleaners. You know Realtors love to eat so these breakfasts will continue throughout
2009. The schedule for the first six months is now posted on the blog.
Joette Bickel organized the first drive for Cell Phones for Soldiers and efforts of Preview Properties.com are now responsible for
collecting 1204 phones. Even if we took the sign down, we are now “the collection point” for used cell phones.
Paul and Judy Klebba took over the LESA Backpack project. Through gifts, contributions, and money collected from CITO lunches,
we were able to provide 45 backpacks with a value of approximately $28 each. We were the only local business besides banks to
become involved as a community drop-off site for the backpack collection.
Our final project for 2008 was Lacasa’s Christmas Adopt a Family. A holiday happy hour with a fun white elephant auction and
CITO breakfasts and lunches raised nearly $1,000 from which Cindy Kelly purchased lots of nice gifts for our family and we were
able to present a $625 check to Bobette Schrandt, Executive Director of Lacasa, for Lacasa’s general fund.
We have also provided food, beauty products, and money to The Connection, Family Impact Center, and United Way. The community
service project was successful because of the hours of volunteerism, the food prepared, and the money donated to these worthy
causes. Besides raising thousands of dollars, we had fun, we feel good, and we ate really well. Thanks to all of Preview Properties.com’s
management, agents, and staff for your generous support of the Community Service projects.
Our first fund raising events in 2009 were in honor and memory of our colleague Ebe Hennigan. We were able to present her sons
a check for $550 for the Ebe Hennigan Memorial Scholastic Fund for St. Mary’s Catholic
Church as well as gift cards for Erik Hennigan and Jason Cecchetti to use while Ebe was a
patient at Beaumont Hospital.
View the future events on the Preview Properties.com blog to see the many community service
events scheduled for 2009. You can look forward to lots of good food too!
Val and Hal Potts show their holiday spirit
wearing their Christmas sweaters.
Jennie Gehring
participates in the
white elephant auction.