Pole Position Fights Against Drunk Driving at Public Service Event
It’s one thing to be told not to drink and drive. We’ve all read the statistics, heard the warning signs and may even know people who have been affected by drunk driving accidents, but how many of us have seen what a few drinks does to response times behind the wheel?
Pole Position Raceway recently showed us how a night on the town can lead to dangerous side effects. In partnership with the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) and Sudden Impact Auto Body, Pole Position held its DUI Public Service Message event on March 17, at their indoor kart track. The event was designed to graphically illustrate the effects of drinking and driving to bring awareness to the dangers behind mixing alcohol with operating machinery. During the event, on a track closed to the public, two volunteers were timed in 10-minute races while consuming alcohol in between each race. The women were then intermittently tested for Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) by NHP and laps were timed by NHP. “This event meant a lot to us because it allowed us to demonstrate the dangers and ramifications of drinking and driving,” said Brad Mark, C.O.O. of Pole Position Raceway. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with other great organizations who want to make our community a better and safer place to live.”
Results of the test showed impaired judgment in the volunteers after just one alcoholic beverage, and a significant slow in response times as the experiment continued. For more information on Pole Position Raceway visit www.polepositionraceway.com. For information on Nevada Highway Patrol visit nhp.nv.gov and for information on Sudden Impact Auto Body visit www.suddenimpactauto.com.
Young Philanthropists Society: Piggy Bank Program
Have you had “the talk” with your child? No, not that talk, the one about the importance of saving money for the future. Chances are, considering everything else a parent has to worry about while their children are in elementary school, saving money is not at the top of the priority list even though it probably should be.
The Young Philanthropists Society (YPS) is a membership program through the United Way of Southern Nevada. Along with Junior Achievement, Silver State Schools Credit Union and the Andson Foundation, YPS is managing a program called “Piggy Bank” at Walter Bracken Elementary School. The program serves to teach kids the importance of saving for necessities like education, transportation, clothing, health care and housing. Fully funded and run by YPS membership and volunteers, “Piggy Bank” allows kids to deposit actual money into a savings account with an operational bank on campus, and offers supplementary financial literacy curriculum to students in the classroom. “I love the piggy bank project because we have the opportunity to interact with the children every week,” said Jordan Sacca, YPS Membership Chair. “We get to see how they earned their deposits and how excited they are to save their money. It has made a difference in so many ways in the students’ lives. They get to meet young, caring professionals who are at Bracken supporting them every week and they also get to start saving for the future and in some of these families they are the first to do so.”
Last year students saved $18,000 and are up to over $36,000 for the 2013-2014 school year. For more information visit www.uwsn.org/yps.
“Fire Hurts. Red Cross Helps.”
A fire can be detrimental and traumatic in the lives of all involved – especially if it’s a fire to a home. Beyond all of the emotional distress and destruction of sentimental objects that can’t be replaced, many victims of house fires also have to consider where they might find basic necessities like clothing and furniture that are most likely gone with the flames. A local organization, with a profound understanding of what a victim goes through during this time, reached out to help.
On January 23, 2014 the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada (PFFN) made a financial contribution of $20,000 to American Red Cross’s “Fire Hurts. Red Cross Helps.” campaign, which provides assistance to victims throughout Nevada who have been displaced from their homes due to fire. The campaign is a joint effort by the American Red Cross and PFFN, with the goal of raising $350,000 to fund emergency assistance to local families. All assistance provided is an outright gift, made possible by financial contributions and donations. “It is an honor to be part of such an impactful campaign, and we hope to provide the best assistance possible to those whose lives have been disrupted by house fires,” said Rusty McAllister, president of PFFN. “Though we are grateful to be able to donate $20,000 to this worthy cause, we are reaching out to the community to help us meet the financial goal and create awareness on fire safety.”
On average, the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross responds to a residential fire every 18 hours, day and night. For more information on PFFN visit www.pffn.org.
Caesars Entertainment Corporation and Clean the World Foundation
Ever wonder what happens to the leftover soap or shampoos when you go to a hotel? We hadn’t given it much thought until we found out about Clean the World Foundation. In an era of repurposing and recycling – this organization very much thought about what happens to all of that gently-used soap and decided to do something with it that would have a positive impact on the world.
Millions of deaths per year are caused by hygiene-related illnesses. Clean the World Foundation creates a means to fight these statistics by collecting, sterilizing and repackaging soap and shampoo from hotel properties, later distributing them to impoverished nations. Just recently, employees from Caesars Entertainment Corporation packed their bags and boarded a plane to the Philippines as part of a joint trip with Children International and The Clean the World Foundation, Inc. to deliver thousands of hygiene products and health education tips to schools and student activity centers throughout Manila. Employees who were able to travel were nominated by managers and staff for excellence in the following categories: Dedication to Community Service: William Knowles, Electronic Technician – Harrah’s Laughlin, Outstanding Housekeeper: Soccorro Garcia, Inspector, Housekeeping – Bally’s Las Vegas, and Service with Passion: Lance Elliot, Table Games Dealer – Harrah’s Council Bluffs. “I had the opportunity to see many aspects of life that some will never see,” said Elliot. “I saw soap make kids smile and say thank you. I saw kids, kids and more kids, and all of them seemed amazing to me.”
For more information on the Clean the World Foundation visit www.cleantheworld.org. For more on Caesar’s Entertainment Corporation visit www.caesars.com.
Bank of America and Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas
To have a roof over our heads… it’s why we work and it’s why we save. It’s the foundation of the American Dream. A roof over our heads gives us more than just shelter – it’s a place to call home and to have a space away from the rest of the world. Habitat for Humanity, a national organization with a local presence in Las Vegas, understands this basic human need for security. With the help of a generous donation by Bank of America, the organization gave that gift to a local woman in need.
On March 1, 2014 single mother of three, Denzila Watts, entered her Habitat for Humanity home in South Las Vegas for the very first time. The home was donated by Bank of America. More than 20 Bank of America employee volunteers helped Watts with approximately $20,000 in landscaping, painting, flooring and damage repair improvements to her soon-to-be space. This day marked the first time Watts will work on revamping the family’s future home. As part of Habitat’s homeownership program,she is required to complete 300 hours of “sweat equity” which involves not only working at the construction site on Habitat homes, but also undergoing several classes that focus on the various components of responsible home ownership. The home is the 11th such donation by Bank of America – part of a national partnership through which the institution is donating up to 2,000 vacant properties nationwide for renovation or reconstruction over a three-year span.
For more information on Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas visit www.habitatlasvegas.org. For more information on Bank of America visit www.bankofamerica.com.
United Healthcare, Konami Digital Entertainment and Boys and Girls Clubs of So. NV Fight Childhood Obesity
Over one third of children in the United States are considered overweight or obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This statistic presents itself in our own community with 34% of Nevada’s children considered such, leaving the state 17th for physical inactivity and 18th for obesity, according to UnitedHealth Foundation’s 2013 America’s Health Rankings. What can we do about this epidemic? First, similar to a new initiative recently launched at our local Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada, we can make exercising fun for kids and encourage them to involve friends in creating a healthy lifestyle.
UnitedHealthcare and Konami Digital Entertainment brought DanceDance Revolution: Classroom Edition (DDR CE) to the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada recently, where local youngsters will use the popular dance game to have fun and improve their fitness… at the same time (gasp!). Students will play the interactive video game, which combines physical activity with energetic music and visuals. The game enables dozens of students to participate simultaneously, creating friendly competition and fun using wireless mat controllers featuring a smart card reader that tracks each student’s individual progress. “It is important we continue the fight against obesity,” said CCSD Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky. “We need healthy, happy students in our schools so they can learn and be good citizens going forward.”
Childhood obesity has doubled in the last thirty years. In order to fight continued growth UnitedHealthcare, Konami Digital Entertainment and the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada partnered to create this new “exergaming” program. For more information on UnitedHealthcare visit www.uhc.com. For more on Konami Digital Entertainment visit www.konamigaming.com and for more on the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada visit www.bgclv.com.
Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub Fights Hunger with Three Square
I’m hungry. We say it in different forms all of the time, but how many of us truly know what it is to have “hunger” without the means to satisfy it? In Southern Nevada, over 340,000 people, 130,000 of which are children, have had to know what it’s like to be hungry and insecure as to if and when they will be able to eat. Three Square, along with its many partners in the community, work to provide meals to these men, women and children daily.
As a kickoff to it’s “Hakkasan Gives Back” initiative, Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub donated $5 to Three Square for each diner over the course of December 2013. In addition, employees individually raised contributions for the campaign resulting in a donation of more than $50,000 to the local food bank in January. “I was just talking to my 6-year old son this evening about having a snack before dinner,” said Three Square’s Chief Development Officer Matt Muldoon “and I realized how lucky he is to have that basic need, as so many others do not,” he continued. “One in six are struggling with hunger in our community. What Hakkasan has given us today will allow us to serve more than 150,000 meals to those in need. It’s a huge step towards helping us achieve our goals.” Hakkasan staff also volunteered at Three Square’s South Warehouse in mid-December, where they packaged a total of 10,000 meals to-go for the Kid’s Café©, 1,500 bags of food for “Backpacks for Kids,” and 130 Senior Share Boxes.
For more information on Hakkasan visit www.hakkasan.com/lasvegas. For more on Three Square visit www.threesquare.org.
Spread the Word Nevada and Bank of America
According to recent studies, children who are not reading proficiently by fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of school before graduating. That’s a scary number, and one with profound impact on the stability of our economy and the quality of life of our children as our country moves forward. A local non-profit, Spread the Word Nevada, is doing its part to ensure low-income students in our community are not a part of that statistic. With a mission to inspire children one book at a time, the organization has donated over 2.5 million books to 343,000 children in our school district, inspiring hundreds of thousands of young people to learn, stay in school and graduate.
On February 10, 2014 at The Smith Center, Bank of America presented a check for $200,000 to Spread the Word Nevada as a recipient of its highly competitive annual Neighborhood Builder’s grant. In addition to the grant the Neighborhood Builders Program awards executive leadership training to high achieving non-profit organizations around the country that have made a significant impact addressing needs related to community development, critical needs or workforce development and education. Spread the Word Nevada says it plans to use the grant to extend its school year reading program into the summer months and expand its offerings into new schools. Currently the organization serves 29 schools in at-risk and low-income areas around the city.
For more information on book donation and volunteering for Spread the Word Nevada visit www.spreadthewordnevada.org. For more information on the Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Program visit www.bankofamerica.com.
Blue Star Mothers and The City of Henderson
As we sit down with our families during the holidays and, for some, watch our children excitedly rustle through holiday stockings, it’s important to remember that many brave men and women are not home, but are abroad and at times in danger, serving our country. Those soldiers have volunteered to forego the warmth and love of their families at home to protect the freedom and safety of ours.
A local non-profit, Blue Star Mothers of Southern Nevada, worked to ensure that local troops who are currently deployed overseas do not go without a stocking this holiday season. Working with the City of Henderson and local volunteers, the group of mothers (all of whom have a child who has honorably served in the military) collected items representing the “comforts of home” for our troops abroad. “As mothers, we have always been there to protect our kids. But today, they are the ones protecting us,” said Blue Star Mothers President Chere’ Pederson. “Many of our sons and daughters are serving their country by defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan and other areas referred to as the War Zone. As the holidays draw near, we think about the traditions and comfort that we enjoy at this time and are glad to be able to send our kids a little ‘Home’ for the holidays.”
City of Henderson representatives and students from McCaw Elementary School gathered to assemble the over 1,000 stockings with items collected from local residents. Our local heroes serving overseas can rest easy knowing we are here thinking of them. To learn more about Blue Star Mothers of America visit www.bluestarmothers.org.
Young Men’s Service League’s “Ultimate Gift” Benefits Project 150
November was National Philanthropy Month and, considering this time of year also tends to be one of the hardest for those in need, it’s fortunate to have an influx of assistance, support and partnership from charitable organizations in the city.
One such organization came together to make a huge impact on our local high school youth. The Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) Las Vegas, in conjunction with a chapter-wide YMSL program known as the “Ultimate Gift,” chose local non-profit organization Project 150 as the recipient of a huge kindness. Taking the first weekend of November, mothers and sons gathered to clean, paint, decorate and stock pantries full of food for three “resource” rooms at Desert Pines High School, Mohave High School and Western High School. The rooms will provide a welcoming environment for homeless students who may not have anywhere to go before or after school. “Our Chapter chose Project 150 as the recipient of the Ultimate Gift because it speaks to a need in the Clark County School District,” said YMSL Las Vegas Chapter founder and president, Kristen Beling-Dougherty. “Supporting homeless students to help them stay in school is one of the driving forces behind YMSL’s support. We understand the value and importance of what a high school diploma will mean to the future of these teens.”
The YMSL is newly established in Las Vegas. The non-profit initiates and encourages high school aged young men and their mothers to assist, serve, and support those who are in need in their communities. To learn more visit www.ymsllasvegas.org. For information on Project 150 and to assist local homeless high school students visit www.project150.org.
