PT’s Entertainment Group donated 752 bikes and $25,000 to the 98.5 KLUC Chet Buchanan Show Toy Drive. Fifteen trucks and 16 boxes were delivered to the toy drive, filled with items collected over six weeks at 64 PT’s locations across Valley.
U.S. Vets Las Vegas and Communities in Schools of Nevada have been named 2019 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders awardees for their work helping homeless or extremely low-income military veterans and their families transition into sustainable jobs and housing, and helping economically disadvantaged high school students graduate. The grant provides $200,000 to each honoree, a year of leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader at the organization, a network of peer organizations across the country and the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact.
Mondays Dark celebrated its sixth anniversary December 9 at the Pearl in the Palms. The event celebrated hitting $1 million of funds raised for Las Vegas’ philanthropic organizations. The 2019 charity partners included more than 20 local nonprofits.
Thirty community leaders raised awareness and more than $170,000 for the American Cancer Society to fight breast cancer as part of Real Men Wear Pink. Among the honorees at an awards ceremony were Jon Bilstein, executive director of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada; Glen Simpson of Community Ambulance; Nathan Schweigart, president of NDL Group Inc.; and Scott Nelson, vice president and general manager of Red Rock Resort.
The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE received a $3.8 million-plus donation from Cisco, a worldwide IT, networking and cybersecurity firms. Cisco’s donation includes networking equipment for advanced analytics and connectivity to the roadway for up to 25 intersections within city boundaries. The equipment will be used to support the advancement of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies, as well as integrate within existing technologies to measure and manage the flow of vehicles and pedestrians, and provide increased safety and operational efficiency.
Credit One Bank announced a charity initiative with the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation benefiting seven nonprofit organizations focusing on homelessness in Las Vegas. At select Golden Knights home games, a charity partner will benefit from a silent auction on the concourse at T-Mobile Arena near Section 13. The total amount raised for each charity will then be matched up to $12,000 by Credit One Bank. Charity partners for the 2019-20 NHL hockey season include Family Promise of Las Vegas, HELP of Southern Nevada, HomeAid Southern Nevada, Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the Shade Tree and U.S. Vets Las Vegas. In addition, Credit One Bank employees donated 50 bikes, six bins of toys and over $1,500 to the 21st annual 98.5 KLUC Chet Buchanan Show Toy Drive.
Fatburger hosted a private lunch at the Shade Tree as part of its seventh annual holiday give-back fundraising campaign. The event featured a visit from Santa, backpacks, gifts and a $1,500 donation from the Siegel Group, donuts from Pinkbox Donuts and live music from Timeless and Magic Touch. Additionally, Darin and Patricia Feinstein presented a check for $5,000 and Findlay Kia presented a check for $2,255.
Opportunity Village hosted the 15th annual Las Vegas Great Santa Run with 6,644 participants from 43 states and six countries. The race, presented by Circle K, featured special guests such as A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, the Chippendales, Santa Claus, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, former Mayor Oscar Goodman and the organization’s all-Elvis dance troupe, the OV Elvi. Proceeds will go toward the programs and services for adults with disabilities at Opportunity Village.
The NV Energy Foundation donated $160,750 in grants to 23 Southern Nevada nonprofits, including Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Paralyzed Veterans of America-Nevada Chapter and Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada. The foundation, which is funded by NV Energy, addresses community needs in the areas of education and youth, environment and community enhancement, safety and wellness, and arts and culture.
Piero’s Italian Cuisine served Thanksgiving dinner to 1,200 low-income families from 25 local nonprofit organizations, including Positively Kids and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada. The meal was served by dozens of the restaurant’s loyal patrons.
The Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors made its biggest donation yet as a sponsor of the 98.5 KLUC Chet Buchanan Show Toy Drive. GLVAR increased its support to $14,500 this year, including more than 90 bicycles and sponsoring a Giving Tree and a truck to transport donations.
Desert Radiology’s Do-Gooders, a team composed of members from all Desert Radiology facilities in the valley, donated $3,000 to City Impact Center’s Thanksgiving dinner program.
Ron and Lynn Williams partnered with Southern Nevada recycling/waste management company Western Elite to host a free Christmas Express event for 13,000 people. The event included live entertainment, carriage and hayrides, photo opportunities with Santa, train rides to the North Pole and a live nativity scene. It takes more than 132 people to staff and run the event each year, totaling 11,700 hours of work.
One Nevada Credit Union partnered with Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth for a donation drive to collect items such as gift cards, clothing, personal care items and bus passes.
Communities in Schools of Nevada raised over $650,000 at its fourth annual Today for Tomorrow gala in an effort to provide at-risk students the means to graduate. Major event sponsors included Destinations by Design, Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the Bennett Family Foundation, Breakthru Beverage Group and PSAV.
America First Credit Union donated $110,000 to 11 nonprofits serving Southern Nevada and Utah. The two local nonprofits recognized were Safe Nest and Three Square Food Bank. The credit union also outfitted more than 200 students in need at Gibson Middle School and Red Rock Elementary School with gym shoes and new socks as part of the its annual “Warm the Soles of Kids” program.
Project Homeless Connect, which brings together those who are homeless or low-income and the programs and organizations that can help them, served more than 2,000 people at its November event, which featured assistance services such as housing, job training, mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment, and also provided attendees with donated clothing items. Project Homeless Connect is coordinated by the Nevada Homeless Alliance in partnership with the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care and the Clark County Social Services Department, and was sponsored by the Champion Center, Clark County, Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Wells Fargo Charitable Foundation and MGM Resorts International.