Cox Communications opened a technology center at Desert Pines Boys & Girls Club in East Las Vegas. The company also redeployed Connect2Compete, a program that offers discounted high-speed Internet service to low-income families and targets nine Clark County schools near the club: Bracken, Edwards, Earl, Gragson, Hewetson, Ronnow, Cambeiro and Lunt elementary schools, as well as Robison Middle School.
Nominations are due June 22 for the 2015 Angel Awards. VEGAS INC will honor people and businesses in Southern Nevada who make a difference in the charitable landscape of our community. The Angel Awards were established to acknowledge and encourage the accomplishments and contributions of our most outstanding community leaders and will be included in our special publication, the Giving Guide. Categories for individuals are Humanitarian of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Cultural Advocate/Entertainer of the Year. Categories for companies are Nonprofit of the Year, Philanthropic Business of the Year — Public, Philanthropic Business of the Year — Private and Foundation of the Year. Send an email to [email protected] for more information.
The Stratosphere donated $1,000 to the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The diabetes foundation donation was made on behalf of Old School 105.7 radio host Lynn Briggs, whose family is affected by the disease. The resort also donated $1,000 to the Children’s Heart Foundation and its Walk With the Heart of a Child event. The heart foundation supports families affected by pediatric cardiology conditions.
Wynn and Encore committed $75,000 to the Meeting Planners International Foundation to launch a scholarship for professional meeting planners. The money will cover two scholarship recipients each month over the next three years.
Blue Man Group is partnering with Autism Speaks, an autism science and advocacy organization. The Blue Man Group pledged $25,000 and is hosting sensory-friendly shows suitable for children with autism spectrum disorders. Slight modifications will be made, including reducing sound and light levels, making headphones available and creating calming environments in each theater’s lobby for families seeking a break from the excitement.
Association of Fundraising Professionals, Las Vegas Chapter
Palms Pool and Dayclub is helping charities through Cabanas for a Cause, an annual initiative in which a $100 cabana rental fee is donated on select days to a featured charity of the week. This summer’s beneficiaries include the Epicurean Charitable Foundation, Aid for AIDS in Nevada, Three Square Food Bank and the Goodie Two Shoes Foundation.
Rex Bell Elementary School received 450 backpacks filled with school supplies from HDI Global and World Vision.
The Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2013 presented Cambeiro Elementery students with more than 800 books for classroom libraries, prizes for reading and nearly $15,000.
Police officers raised more than $94,000 at Claim Jumper restaurants during the annual Tip-A-Cop fundraiser benefiting Special Olympics. Officers traded in their badges and handcuffs for aprons and served diners at Claim Jumper locations in Nevada, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.
Raymond Wilmer
The Public Education Foundation honored Foothill High School Director of Bands Travis Pardee with the Myra Greenspun Teacher Excellence Award. The award — established in 2008 by Myra Greenspun, who is on the executive committee of the Public Education Foundation’s board of directors — recognizes an exemplary public school teacher who uses innovative teaching strategies and raises student achievement. Pardee was nominated by Sean Thueson, a parent and chair of the Falcon Band Boosters at Foothill High School. In his nominating letter, Thueson wrote Pardee’s “life work is dedication to teaching, not just about music, but about life and how to be a good person.” Greenspun is the wife of Brian Greenspun, CEO and publisher of Greenspun Media Group.
Raymond Wilmer joined the board of directors of Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. Wilmer is associate vice president of client sales and a service officer at U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. He co-founded the Las Vegas chapter of Bank of America’s LGBT Pride Employee Network and served as board president of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada.
Findlay Automotive Group
More than 900 volunteers and corporate sponsors from across Southern Nevada repaired and renovated 20 homes during National Rebuilding Day. Southwest Gas teamed with Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada for the 21st year and repaired the home of a U.S. Navy veteran’s widow who adopted her three grandchildren, who require special medical attention. More than $65,000 worth of repairs were made to the home. Lowe’s Home Improvement provided $10,000 to replace the air conditioning unit and repair the home’s roof. Elsewhere, more than 15 Chase Bank employees and five Air Force members worked at a home, landscaping the back yard, painting the exterior, replacing a door, replacing locks and lights, and rewiring the patio area.
The Stratosphere
Nevada State Bank donated $25,000 to Communities in Schools of Nevada to benefit the Splashdown for Kids event and support a hunger prevention program that provides meals to Elko County schoolchildren.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Las Vegas Chapter, donated $2,000 to the Library District Foundation. The money will benefit the Library District’s Southern Nevada Nonprofit Information Center.
Rotary Club of Las Vegas West donated $10,000 to Jack Dailey Elementary for a school garden. The money will pay for raised beds and landscape improvements so students can enjoy an outdoor classroom and working, living garden.
The Torino Foundation received $5,000 from Findlay Automotive Group to help fund the Camp I Am program, which sends children with autism to summer camp.
CenturyLink donated $35,000 to valley schools for technology projects. Dorothy Eisenberg Elementary School was awarded almost $5,000 to buy iPad Minis and pay for attendance to the 2015 National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference. The grant will help students with autism better communicate and learn through hands-on technology. Teacher Brenda McNair submitted the project. East Career and Technical Academy was awarded about $5,000 to buy iPod Touches for students to enhance science and technology learning. Teacher Bonny Warby submitted the project. Ed W. Clark High School was awarded more than $4,000 to buy dual-control starter kits for the robotics program. Teacher Jean Moran submitted the project. Helen Marie Smith Elementary School was awarded more than $2,500 to buy iPad Minis and iTunes gift cards for educational applications. Gifted Specialist Amie Blumenthal submitted the project. Jim Bridger Middle School was awarded approximately $5,000 to buy MacBooks and an Apple TV for collaborative learning. Teacher Amy White submitted the project. Legacy High School was awarded $5,000 to buy chemistry lab probe-ware for advanced placement chemistry students. Teacher Matthew Totaro submitted the project. Silvestri Junior High School was awarded more than $4,000 to buy 3-D engineering software and printing technology. Librarian Julie Curl submitted the project. Spring Mountain Youth Camp was awarded $4,500 to buy a MakerBot printer and 3-D modeling software for art students. Art Department Chairman Bradley Combs submitted the project.
A $1 million gift from the Bennett Family Foundation will provide scholarships to more than 150 new and returning UNLV Honors College students over the next four years.
Elsa Sabellano Jenstad received a $20,000 scholarship and Krista Burdick was awarded $5,000 to fund their culinary educations at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, courtesy of Chase Sapphire Preferred. The aspiring chefs worked with chefs Emeril Lagasse and Michael Mina in a cooking competition at Vegas Uncork’d.
Matt Smith Physical Therapy’s fourth annual food drive benefiting Three Square Food Bank collected 706 pounds of food, which will help create 588 meals. Since the food drive’s inception in 2012, Matt Smith Physical Therapy has collected 4,291 pounds of food.