Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1998 | 11:49 a.m.
Benefits
* MASKED BALL & SILENT AUCTION -- The National Kidney Foundation of Nevada will have its annual Masked Ball Dinner and Silent Auction honoring Jon Ralston as Civic Leader of the Year and Michael L. Gross, M.D., as Medical Leader of the Year Saturday at the Orleans hotel-casino. The funds raised will be used in Nevada for services to kidney patients. The National Kidney Foundation has been in Nevada since 1952 and was incorporated as the National Kidney Foundation of Nevada in 1972. More than 55,000 people in Nevada have some sort of kidney disease. There are more than 1,500 individuals on dialysis in Clark County and 350 patients in Washoe County. The foundation helps pay for transportation, food, medicine, insurance, rent and many other items. NKF President Scott A. Swain, Esq., announced Boni Moretti will serve as dinner chairman and Dr. Lata Shete will serve as medical dinner chairman. Tickets are $175. For reservations or additional information, call 735-9222.
Getting results
* BOULEVARD MALL DONATION -- The Boulevard Mall recently donated $1,000 to Sunrise Children's Hospital Foundation in honor of the many educational programs the organization offers to improve the lives of children in Southern Nevada. The donation was made at the dedication of the Boulevard's new security podium, which included comments by Gov. Bob Miller and Clark County Undersheriff Richard Winget. The dedication also featured the introduction of the Boulevard's Code Adam and Merchant Watch programs.
* ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTION -- The Las Vegas branch of the Arthritis Foundation is the recipient of a $25,000 contribution from the Lincy Foundation. The gift will assist the Arthritis Foundation in expanding its programs from 10 weekly aquatic exercise programs to include a People With Arthritis Can Exercise program. The local branch also provides information on the various forms of arthritis, which is the umbrella term for more than 100 rheumatic diseases.
* SHADE TREE GRANT -- Citibank Nevada recently provided a $1,000 grant to The Shade Tree, an emergency shelter for homeless women and children. The grant, which was sponsored by the bank's Park Branch location, will be used to train the staff in order to improve their effectiveness in working with the homeless.
* TELEDEX HELPS KIDS -- The Teledex Corp. recently donated $2,500 to the Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas. In a ceremony at the Lied Memorial Unit, the largest Boys & Girls Club in America, Teledex area sales manager Greg Varey presented the check to executive director Mike Meyer and the children of the club. According to Meyer, two out of three club alumni go on to careers as professionals, managers, proprietors or skilled workers, earning 39 percent more than the national average. Eighty-seven percent graduate from high school, 21 percent over the national average.
* OPERATION SCHOOL BELL DONATION -- Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center donated $5,000 to Operation School Bell to purchase clothing, coats, school supplies and books for at-risk children in Clark County. Operation School Bell is a nonprofit program supported by volunteers of the Assistance League of Las Vegas. Its goal is to help students, kindergarten through ninth grade, who don't come to school because they lack appropriate supplies due to family financial needs, homelessness or loss of clothing to fire. The program seeks to enhance these students' self-esteem and to encourage school attendance.
* NLV NEIGHBORHOOD DONATION -- Norwest Bank Nevada recently presented a $25,000 donation to North Las Vegas Neighborhood Housing Services, a nonprofit housing corporation that operates in mature neighborhoods adjacent to the North Las Vegas Downtown Redevelopment Area. The North Las Vegas Neighborhood Housing Services is a nonprofit partnership between the City of North Las Vegas, the city's business community and its residents, which provides payment assistance to first-time homebuyers throughout the city, rehabilitates housing in its target neighborhoods and owns and manages multi-family properties in its target neighborhoods. Kirk Clausen, president of Norwest Bank said the donation was made as part of the bank's commitment to local community development.
* FOCUS SCHOOL PROJECT -- Sun City residents and employees of the Del Webb Corp., recently donated more than 500 books and a cash donation to Robert Taylor Elementary School in Henderson. Students have also received tutoring from the employees and residents.
* ANONYMOUS DONOR -- An anonymous contributor donated two sites to St. John Christian University to construct a 1,050-bed hospital, 2,000 homes, a 1,000-room hotel, a 25-store shopping mall, golf course, a lake, a kid's amusement park and the university campus. The construction sites will be located in various parts of Nevada and California.
Honors
* RABBI AKSELRAD HONORED -- Members of Congregation Ner Tamid will honor Rabbi Sanford Akselrad in a double celebration on Saturday. This is the rabbi's 13th year in the rabbinate, and since that is the customary time for the Jewish tradition of Bar Mitzvah, his years in the pulpit will be marked by a special Bar Mitzvah program. This year is also Rabbi Akselrad's 10th year as the spiritual leader at Congregation Ner Tamid, the second reason for the festivities. During this period, the membership has grown from less than 100 families to more than 600. For more information, call Monty Willey, executive director of Congregation Ner Tamid, 733-6292.
Special needs
* LOAN BANK -- If you have equipment such as oxygen concentrators, portable oxygen units or nebulizers and no longer have a use for them, consider donating them to the Loan Bank, a program sponsored by the American Lung Association of Nevada. The goal of the Loan Bank is to provide a temporary loan to lung-disease patients who cannot afford to purchase their own equipment. For more information, call 431-6333.
* KIDS MEALS -- If you belong to an organization and would like to feed needy children, the Summer Food Service Program can help. The program is federally funded and assists in serving nutritious meals to low-income children whenever school is out for 15 days or more. Students attending year-round schools often go hungry during their vacation breaks. There are organizations serving meals, so if you would like to find out where your child can receive a free meal or how you can help, call (702) 687-9153 or (800) 992-0900, Ext. 87-9153.
* SENIOR WHEELS -- The Senior Wheels Program of Greater Las Vegas makes available power wheelchairs and three-wheel electric scooters to seniors 65 and up or permanently physically challenged people who need mobility assistance. The service is usually at no out-of-pocket expense to those who qualify. The items are delivered to the seniors' homes along with operating instructions. To schedule a "mobility needs" visit in your home or for more information to see if you qualify, call (800) 211-6502.
* GOODWILL DONATION CENTERS -- Mountain View Hospital is sponsoring an Attended Donation Center site for Goodwill Industries of Southern Nevada Inc. An ADC trailer in the hospital parking lot accepts tax-deductible donations from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week. Other ADC locations are in the parking lots of Wal-Mart at Charleston and Nellis, Sam's Club at Spring Mountain and Rainbow and Cheyenne Self Storage at Cheyenne and Rampart. Through the sale of donated items, Goodwill Industries provides training, employment and job placement services for people with disabilities and other special needs. Goodwill stores are located at 31 N. Nellis Blvd., 3461 Boulder Highway and 2560 Duneville St. and also serve as donations centers during store hours. For more information, call 597-1107.
* COAT DRIVE -- Village East Cleaners is holding its fourth annual coat drive through mid-January. Donations of coats and warm clothing may be dropped off from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at any of Village East Cleaners' three locations, 5025 S. Eastern, 5645 S. Eastern and 2301 E. Sunset. The items are cleaned and sent to St. Vincents shelter. Village East cleaners also recently donated a wide-screen TV to St. Vincents.
* ACADEMY AWARDS CELEBRATION -- Oscar Night America comes to the Las Vegas Hilton from 5:30-10 p.m. March 23. For the third straight year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has designated the Arthritis Foundation as the beneficiary of this event. Guests will enjoy official Academy Award programs, silent auction and raffle opportunities, entertainment and the ambiance of the 70th Academy Awards celebration. Tickets are $100. For more information, call 367-1626.
* CENTERFOLD CALENDAR -- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada have called upon prominent Southern Nevadans who are featured in their 1998 calendar. The limited-edition 12-month calendars are available for $5 each, as a tax-deductible donation. Copies may be picked up at 3355 Spring Mountain Road, Suite 49. You can also pick up the calendars at 1785 E. Sahara Ave., Suite A-100.
* KARS FOR KIDNEYS -- Donate your used automobiles to the National Kidney Foundation of Nevada. There is free pickup and you may qualify for a tax donation. Kars for Kidneys is the longest running vehicle donation program in Nevada. Proceeds are used to help fund the foundation's vital patient services program. For more information, call 735-9222.
Volunteers
* CAAR VOLUNTEERS -- Community Action Against Rape needs volunteers. CAAR is Southern Nevada's only 24-hour sexual assault crisis intervention hotline. If you can volunteer they will be offering a 40+-hour course in February which provides training on crisis counseling, hospital, law enforcement, court procedures and state and county compensation. Pre-interview screening will be Monday through Jan. 23. For more information or an application, call 385-2153.
* HELPING HANDS OF HENDERSON -- Volunteers are needed to join Helping Hands as drivers or friendly visitors. Helping Hands mission is to allow the frail, elderly and those with disabling disorders maintain independence by remaining in their own home. By accomplishing this mission, residents may avoid or postpone long-term institutionalized care. For many clients, assistance with transportation or shopping is all that is needed to enable them to continue living independently. If you are able to volunteer or find a need for their service, call Christine Nelson, 558-4808.
* DOCENT TRAINING -- Spring Mountain Ranch State Park is accepting applications for volunteers for its next Docent Training Class beginning Jan. 17. The duties of a Docent include staffing the Ranch House Visitor's Center and conducting walking tours. Docents are required to serve one three-hour shift each month. The training classes will be held from 9 a.m.-noon each Saturday from Jan. 17 through March. Instructors will educate volunteers on a variety of topics including Spring Mountain Ranch history, local plants and animals, geology and archeology. For more information or to volunteer, call Terri Gorman, 256-4323.
* FAMILY TO FAMILY -- Family to Family Connection is looking for caring, resourceful people who can become a family specialist with Infant Support Districts or a Parent/Family Representative on a board or council with Family to Family Connection. Some requirements are being a parent of an infant or small child, wanting to make a difference in the community and wanting to help your neighbor, wanting to grow through challenge and having a desire to form partnerships and friendships, wanting to be a leader in helping families receive the hope, respect, education and services they need to achieve their full potential. You will have the opportunity to learn about important issues affecting families in your community, be a voice for families by communicating with local and state decision makers, obtain resources and other materials on a variety of concerns facing today's families, grow personally through leadership development training and network with others within the community and offer support for activities that strengthen the family-community partnership. If you are interested, call Leanne Ernest, 486-3530.
archive
