Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas and McDonald’s Owner-Operators were among those who welcomed the first families into the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Sunrise Children’s Hospital with a grand opening celebration March 16.
Southern Nevada’s first and only Ronald McDonald Family Room, providing families with a comfortable and supportive space to sleep, eat and rest, is just steps away from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Having a critically ill or injured child in the hospital puts an enormous emotional, physical and financial strain on families. The new Family Room will provide families in crisis with a peaceful and supportive place away from the critical care environment.
Because of the support of the Engelstad Family Foundation, the Del E. Webb Foundation, Sunrise Children’s Hospital, Speedway Children’s Charities, NV Energy, Lexus of Las Vegas, and numerous community supporters, Ronald McDonald House Charities can bring comfort and care directly to the families who need it most, right on hospital grounds.
Philharmonic Guild launches school programs
The Las Vegas Philharmonic Guild launched an instrument collection program to benefit local school music programs. This initiative intends to address the need for musical instruments for school music programs, particularly in charter schools.
After six months of research, the guild entered a partnership with Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, which recently expanded its music program to a yearlong platform covering band, orchestra and smaller ensembles. As many as three students share a single instrument now, which limits performance and practice times.
The organization seeks playable instruments in good condition. Because these instruments may need refurbishing, they are also seeking monetary donations. To donate or get involved, contact Monica Fuller at guildeducation@lvphil.com.
Experience raises over $17k for Spread the Word
Fremont Street Experience hosted a SlotZilla Charity Challenge in February to benefit Spread the Word Nevada, with 100% of revenue from flights on the lower Zipline or upper Zoomline going to Spread the Word Nevada. Fremont Street Experience director of marketing, Thomas Bruny presented the organization a check for $17,244 on March 7. The money will go towards advancing early childhood literacy by placing books into the hands of children within southern Nevada’s at-risk, low-income communities.
Vegas Indoor Skydiving collects 1,100 pounds
of food
Vegas Indoor Skydiving celebrated its 35th anniversary in Las Vegas with Tunnel Jam 2016, its inaugural flight competition in benefit of Three Square Food Bank. The competition featured two divisions, 11 competitors and more than $5,000 in prizes, helping to raise more than 1,136 pounds of food, which equates to 947 meals for families in need.
America First Credit
Union donates $10,000 to foundation
America First Credit Union donated $10,000 to four charities through a 40 for 40 campaign, held on its Facebook page. In a unique social media-driven campaign, America First gave an additional $10,000 to the one charity that garnered the most likes. Four charities were identified throughout Utah and Southern Nevada.
The winning charity was Switchpoint Community Resource Center, an organization dedicated to providing services to create independence for homeless individuals. The three other charities, Family Counseling Center, Primary Children’s Hospital and Sunrise Children’s Foundation, received $10,000 each, for a total of $50,000 donated.
Money for the 40 for 40 campaign come from members through the America First Credit Union Charitable Foundation. The foundation supports charitable organizations that provide job assistance, training, education, transportation and housing, meals, clothing and medical attention to the needy.
Anthem Foundation awards $5,000 to schools
This spring, more than $5,000 will be awarded to Clark County schools to support physical activity and health programs by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, which is committed to improving Nevada’s health.
The Fire Up Your Feet Challenge is a program that offers new opportunities for physical activity before, during and after school for students and their families. Studies show students who get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day are fitter, healthier and have better focus in class.
The challenge runs April 11 through May; registration is open at nevada.fireupyourfeet.org.
Cox Las Vegas employees support nonprofits
The nearly 1,400 employees of Cox Communications, Las Vegas volunteered 24,662 hours in 2015, an average of nearly 18 hours per employee, having dedicated themselves to supporting dozens of nonprofit organizations in Southern Nevada. Their achievements nearly doubled volunteer hours from 2014.
Employee volunteer efforts in 2015 included a canned-food drive to support Salvation Army; a pet needs drive supporting the Animal Foundation; and a back-to-school supply drive supporting Olive Crest and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.
Cox also recognizes quarterly Community Champions, selected from all Cox employee volunteers throughout the year, and donates $1,000 to the charity of choice for each community champion. Benefiting charities in 2015 included Alpha Men and Divas of Tomorrow; National Junior Basketball League; Refuge for Women and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada.
3,500 books donated to at-risk schools
Comedy-magician Mac King visited four local at-risk elementary schools as part of his Magical Literacy Tour: Nevada Reading Week 2016. King held assemblies at each school, reading short stories to the students, performing tricks from his show and discussing the importance of reading.
King also hand-delivered books collected from book drives held in February at Savers of Las Vegas, Harrah’s, Rio, Egg Works, the Egg &I, the Las Vegas Museum of Natural History and Darling Tennis Center. With the community’s support, more than 3,500 books went into the hands of kids in at-risk schools selected by the Public Education Foundation.
Easter Seals Nevada receives $14k donation
Easter Seals Nevada accepted a $14,316 donation from Whole Foods Market. The funds were raised during a “5 Percent Day” fundraiser, hosted at Clark County Whole Foods Market stores in February. All four stores donated 5 percent of the day’s net revenue to the nonprofit organization. Proceeds will largely benefit Easter Seals Nevada’s autism services, including early childhood intervention, occupational/sensory integration therapy and physical therapy.
Albertsons Foundation to award $55k in grants
Albertson is celebrating the opening of its store in Summerlin’s Trails Village Center by awarding $55,000 in grants to the Mariachi Ensemble from Del Sol High School ($5,000); U.S. Vets of Las Vegas ($10,000); Nevada Veteran’s Foundation ($25,000); Nevada Veteran’s Assistance League ($10,000); and Catholic Veterans of Nevada Charity Foundation ($5,000).
Volunteers feed the needy at Rescue Mission
PENTA Building Group employees recently volunteered at Las Vegas Rescue Mission, helping to fill and serve 582 trays of food to locals in need. The general contractor is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities its employees live and work and beyond. Since October 2014, PENTA has donated nearly $280,000 to approximately 40 nonprofits valley-wide.