The edge

Real estate agents today cannot afford to be ‘average’. In the business of helping sellers sell homes and buyers buy homes, an agent’s future is in delivering exceptional services. People’s experiences and the relationships you build with them… that’s the ‘think bigger’ in RE/MAX.

And in a network of exceptional agents, these are those whose initiatives are extraordinary – giving them ‘the edge’. Introducing… Dave Skow

The RE/MAX hero who stepped in to help the people’s champion

In September last year, a young dad called Luke Toki, from Baldivis in Western Australia, proved himself to be the ‘People’s Champion’ even though he didn’t win the season of Australian Survivor.

It broke the hearts of Australian Survivor fans around the country when Luke bombed out of the immunity challenge and his chance at the $500,000 prize in the finale.

Luke had joined ‘Survivor’ for the second time in two years, hoping to win the prize money to support his young family.

His sons Nate and Lennox are both on the autism spectrum and require expensive therapy sessions, whilst his newborn daughter Madeleine was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis just weeks before he left for filming in Fiji. She will require expensive ongoing treatment and medication.

Dave Skow, the broker owner of RE/MAX Elite in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and an Australian Survivor fan, set up a Go Fund Me page after Luke’s devastating exit from the competition. It was to become the fastest Go Fund Me campaign in Australian history.

A post by Dave Skow, Go Fund Me organiser, very early in the campaign:

Thanks for all the early support! I’ve been contacted by a few of you just to make sure all funds will go directly to Luke - please rest assured that I’m only doing this as a big Survivor fan and someone who was really touched by Luke’s story over the past few years. I’m extremely fortunate to have a very blessed life financially so am just looking to do what I can to help. Thanks again for getting behind this. Fingers crossed we can crack the $500k!

Incredibly, in less than three days, it had attracted more than $550,000 from supporters.

Inside a week, Dave posted this message on the Go Fund Me page:

Hi all,

In what will be the last update for this Go Fund Me page, Luke & Mary have put together this video to say thanks.

To all 16,000+ donors, you should all be very proud! This has been a life changing undertaking for the Toki family.

Thanks again for all of your wellwishes and messages of support over the past week. This has been a tremendous effort which has yielded an astounding result.

Take care, Dave

After the amount raised passed the half a million-dollar mark, Dave announced that the donations had been stopped on Luke and Mary Loki’s request.

“They decided they didn’t want to take anything more after seeing how much had been raised and were overwhelmed by the kindness of the people donating. As they said, all those people have their own goals and their own bills.

“They are just extremely grateful to people for giving their children such a good start in life,” Dave said.

If Luke Toki is the People’s Champion and survivor, Dave Skow is undeniably a true hero.