The Notes: Philanthropy, April 8, 2019

April 08-- Apr. 8--The Young Dreamers Foundation presented two Ernest A. Becker Sr. Middle School students--eighth-grader Chanel Koh and sixth-grader Caleb Loquillano--with home workstations for winning an essay contest that focused on their natural, inherent skills and how they plan to use those talents to achieve their future goals. The foundation aims to inspire children of all ages to set goals while providing tools to help them.

Whalen Financial donated $1,000 and hundreds of coats to Project 150, which serves homeless, displaced and disadvantaged high school students throughout Nevada. Sunny 106.5, Rebel Stores and Snak Club raised $10,000 in December for Project 150.

Project 150 volunteers prepared and distributed about 2,000 meals to more than 50 high schools in Southern Nevada to help feed local families during this past holiday season.

The Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada accepted a significant property and land gift valued at nearly $9 million. The donation of A Cowboy's Dream Bed and Breakfast and Windmill Ridge Restaurant and Lodging--totaling almost 70 acres--was made by the Charles and Phyllis M. Frias Charitable Trust. Located about 90 miles north of Las Vegas in rural Lincoln County, the donation will give the Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada space to develop an appreciation for nature and practice environmental stewardship. Attorneys from Ballard Spahr worked pro bono to help structure and close the transaction.

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation collected, sorted and donated more than 20,000 toys to 42 organizations and 13 schools during its #operationmakeakidsmile campaign.

The UNLV School of Medicine, Department of Surgery received $1,123,677 from the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety to continue its work on determining the root causes, as well as human and medical costs, associated with vehicular injuries throughout Nevada.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and Las Vegas received $300,000 from the Federal Transit Authority to develop a transit-oriented development plan for Maryland Parkway. A TOD is a type of development that incorporates residential and commercial buildings with walkable neighborhoods near public transit. The grant will evaluate the potential for TOD opportunities on Maryland Parkway from Sahara Avenue through downtown Las Vegas to the Medical District.

Wendy Shirey, principal of the Pinecrest Academy Horizon campus, received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award. The award recognizes excellence in education; 40 national awards are distributed annually.

Ward 1 councilman Isaac Barron donated 500 toys and gifts to North Las Vegas children. Barron raised more than $10,000 from North Las Vegas businesses and recruited and managed student volunteers to shop for and wrap the presents.

The Assurant Foundation donated $10,000 to each of the following: Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada, FIRST Nevada and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

Caesars Entertainment helped create the Shared Future Fund, which will be used to help adult and child victims of human trafficking. The fund will be controlled and managed by ImpactNV.

NFL player Brandon Marshall provided tablets, headphones, food vouchers and hygiene products to 16 North Las Vegas families. The gifts were part of Marshall's Feed & Educate to Empower Leaders movement. Marshall was born in Las Vegas.

The Desert Sage Auxiliary of the Assistance League donated a batch of Preemie Buddies to Sunrise Children's Hospital. A stuffed doll made of soft sheepskin material, the Preemie Buddy is designed to promote bonding between baby and parents. The doll itself is placed with the baby while its clothing goes home for the parents to hold next to their skin. When the human scent is absorbed into the clothing, the doll is dressed and helps bond baby and parent through the sense of smell.

The Clark County Bar Association named Sarah Thornton its Volunteer of the Year for 2018. Thornton is president of Sarah Thornton Public Relations.

More than 200 volunteers from Appreciation Financial helped clean and refurbish K.O. Knudson Middle School. Volunteers painted outdoor walls, handrails and poles and the outdoor blacktop playground. They cleaned the teachers' lounge, added murals to the restrooms to discourage graffiti and added art to back fences.

Kaprice Burns, 17, was named the Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada. The Youth of the Year title recognizes leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle.

The Raiders Foundation donated $15,000 to After-School All-Stars Las Vegas.

Former North Las Vegas high school students Maria Gibbons and Daniela Gonzalez painted "Where the Wild Things Are," a mural at Aliante Library, 2400 Deer Springs Way, North Las Vegas.

D Las Vegas CEO Derek Stevens donated $100,000 to the Lil' Knights Cross-Ice program. The organization is a year-round introductory hockey program for skaters ages 4 and up.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic Guild donated $20,000 to the philharmonic. The money will help music education and community outreach programs.

The Salvation Army Southern Nevada partnered with Safari Club International and Sportsmen Against Hunger to provide 1,000 meals for homeless and low-income people. Nevada hunters donated 300 pounds of deer and elk meat for the meal.

City National Bank and Barnes & Noble donated new books and $40,000 to Helen Jydstrup Elementary School.

Sunrise Children's Hospital is participating in Walker Charities' Pads for Peds program, which brings iPads and equipment to Las Vegas pediatric patients. The new computing gear included 10 tablets, cases and charging stations, and donations to Sunrise Children's Hospital.

Living Grace Homes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe haven for young, pregnant, homeless women between the ages of 14-24, added Trish Nash, Shauna Brennan and Shayna Moreno to its board of directors. Nash is a corporate broker and owner of Signature Gallery of Homes. She also serves on the executive board for the Henderson Chamber of Commerce. Brennan is founder and principal of Brennan Legal Counsel Group as well as founder of TrustAttorneyOnline, a virtual platform for asset protection and estate planning. Moreno is client and media relations specialist at Trosper Communications.

Red Rock Running Company selected Girls on the Run Las Vegas as its exclusive charity partner through 2020. As part of the arrangement, Red Rock will provide running shoes to program participants. GOTR inspires young girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Richard J. Rundle Elementary School opened Closets for Good, made possible from donations by Zappos employees. Closets for Good is a Zappos program that will provide clothing shoes, school supplies and food at local schools.

The Wells Fargo Foundation awarded almost $13 million to nonprofits supporting American Indian and Alaska Native communities as part of a five-year, $50 million commitment to expand its focus on tribal philanthropy.

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