Angel Awards celebrate caring in the community

Thu, Oct 18, 2018 (2 a.m.)

The Angel Awards shine a spotlight on the people and companies who transform their resources into something good for Southern Nevada.

Credit One Bank, our honoree in the category of Philanthropic Private Business of the Year, has three targets in mind: affordable housing/homelessness, employment and financial education. Groups that have felt their largesse include the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Shade Tree, Family Partnership of Las Vegas and the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, as well as the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation.

Wynn Resorts stresses the philosophy of “care about everyone and everything.” To that end, the company supported more than 100 nonprofit groups in 2017; more recently, the resort announced plans to provide $1.5 million in support to the Shade Tree shelter.

Another Angel Award winner, Bridge Counseling Associates, is among Southern Nevada’s oldest nonprofit counseling organizations. Founded in 1971, the clinic has expanded its scope from substance abuse and family counseling to providing trauma therapists. In the aftermath of 1 October, the clinic funded a training program to increase the number of therapists available.

Our Foundation of the Year honoree is the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation. Their hard work means more resources for equipment, training, scholarships and public safety campaigns. The organization received national attention in the wake of 1 October; it is our honor to recognize them in our Giving Guide.

Don’t ever give up. That could be the battle cry of our Humanitarian of the Year, Tiffany Tyler, Ph.D.

“I was keenly aware that my resilience was the result of many helpful souls,” said the CEO of Communities In Schools of Nevada. Those helpful souls will likely be glad to see Tyler paying it forward as her organization works to help more students graduate.

We’re honoring Patrick Duffy as our Cultural Advocate of the Year not only because he's president and CEO of the Nevada School of the Arts, but for the work he’s put in on behalf of organizations as diverse as UNLV, the Nevada Ballet Theatre, the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Opportunity Village Art and Enrichment Program.

It’s a family affair for our Volunteers of the Year. The mother-daughter duo of Shannon and Larissa Gaccione were spurred on to fight cancer from their own personal experiences. Their hard work has brightened the lives of multiple young cancer patients, and that spirit of compassion has led them to expand their outreach to include helping homeless youth and providing eyeglasses to people in Haiti.

Of course, philanthropy is all about the community and we couldn’t bring this wonderful resource to you without the support of the Caesars Foundation and MGM Resorts International.

We’re also grateful to sponsors Bailey Kennedy and Bank of America — and what would the Angel Awards be without a great venue? Our gratitude goes to the Westgate for hosting the event.

If you and your company aren’t involved in a charity, then the Giving Guide is here to offer a starting point. Thank you for reading it; we hope it will inspire you.

Craig Peterson

Special Publications Editor

 

Volunteers of the Year

SHANNON AND LARISSA GACCIONE

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties

When their nephew was diagnosed with leukemia, mother-daughter entrepreneurs Shannon and Larissa Gaccione of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices of Nevada rallied to raise funds for his treatment. It proved not to be the Gacciones’ last battle with the disease, as Larissa underwent treatment for thyroid cancer after being diagnosed on her 19th birthday.

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Shannon and Larissa Gaccione

Now cancer-free, Larissa and her mother were inspired to become cancer warriors, assisting families in need.

“Larissa and I have always loved helping others, though I feel after Larissa’s journey with cancer — and now her continued battle with thyroid disease and autoimmune disease — we feel even more compelled,” said Shannon Gaccione. “We feel very passionate about raising awareness for cancer and other diseases, because knowledge is power.”

That passion has led them to assist Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, among other endeavors.

As an example of their work, the Gacciones made arrangements with a local truck club for 50 monster trucks to surprise a young boy with cancer at his birthday party. They have also hosted fundraising events for another child with cancer, and reach out in other ways as well. When a local Frank Sinatra performer was struck in an auto accident, the pair hosted a Sinatra-era-themed event to fund his recovery. Shannon is also a regular contributor to the Teacher Next Door Program, and recently donated $2,000 to help a teacher buy a home.

Through the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, Larissa recently partnered with Project 150 to support its annual prom dress drive for homeless youth and with Westfield Eye Center to spearhead an eyeglasses donation drive, delivering more than 6,500 pairs to victims in Haiti. She is also an active member of Battlin’ Betties to raise money for first responders and helped the Westfield Eye Center deliver more than 6,500 pairs of eyeglasses to Haiti.

Humanitarian of the Year

TIFFANY TYLER, Ph.D.

Communities In Schools of Nevada

Born in Louisiana and reared in Los Angeles, Tiffany Tyler, Ph.D., developed an interest in philanthropy and charitable giving as she completed her education.

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Tiffany Tyler, Ph.D.

“As a nontraditional student, I was keenly aware that my resilience was the result of many helpful souls along the way,” said Tyler, who holds bachelor’s degrees in sociology and psychology from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in educational psychology from California State University, Northridge, and a doctoral degree in educational psychology from UNLV.

Her professional experience reflects a history of striving to afford others a second chance, and includes tutoring children in a shelter for battered women, serving as a student outreach specialist for the Alliance Program in dropout prevention, a stint as a Clark County School District school counselor and nearly a decade with Nevada Partners aiding youth and families.

In August of 2016, Tyler joined dropout prevention organization Communities In Schools of Nevada as CEO, with the overriding goal of providing a voice for children who need it most.

“In many ways, leading Communities In Schools of Nevada has brought my life full circle,” said Tyler, who is a co-chair for the Las Vegas My Brother’s Keeper initiative, a voting member of the new Clark County School-Justice Partnership, and a member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Sherriff’s Multicultural advisory council.

“I now have the privilege of helping Nevada’s students graduate each year. Communities In Schools of Nevada is striving to move the needle on school safety, dropout and poverty.

“These efforts will include deepening and expanding the support it provides students while partnering with districts, municipalities, community organizations and civic minded citizens across our state!”

Foundation of the Year

THE LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOUNDATION

Founded in 1999 as an agency to raise funds to support local law enforcement, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation began thinking bigger in 2014.

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The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Foundation

“The Foundation increased its outreach by recruiting business and community leaders to our board and increasing the number of events we hold, which allowed us to raise $2 million in 2017, up from less than $200,000 a few years ago,” said Thomas Kovach, who volunteered his time and expertise to develop the strategic plan and then came on board as the Foundation’s first executive director.

The foundation's work means updated equipment, advanced training, support for families of fallen officers, scholarships and community-safety campaigns such as Every 15 Minutes, Go True Blue and Good Ticket. The Foundation also holds four primary fund-raising events throughout the year, including Cops and Canvas, Sheriff Salutes the Best of the Badge Gala, Lunch with the Sheriff, and Wonder Women of Metro Luncheon. Other events include Santa Cops, Trunk or Treat and National Night Out.

After the 1 October tragedy, the Foundation received nationwide support from citizens, organizations and businesses from across the country and beyond.

“The response was heart-warming, as the Foundation and the department received contributions both in cash and in-kind to support our officers and other first responders,” Kovach said. “We also received cards, notes and artwork displaying the public’s support of LVMPD.”

Looking ahead, Kovach said the Foundation is taking on the biggest project in its history: the funding and development of a new reality-based training facility that will be the first buildings in a larger joint regional training facility that will be the first of its kind in the Western United States.

Cultural Advocate of the Year

PATRICK DUFFY

President and CEO, Nevada School of the Arts

A longtime advocate of the arts, Chicago native Patrick Duffy assumed the position of president of the Nevada School of the Arts in March 2018 and is leading the 40-year-old community arts school in a direction that will benefit all students of visual art, dance, theater, film and fashion.

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Patrick Duffy

“We are working to develop the music programs with the hope to improve and expand the growth and resurgence of all art disciplines in Las Vegas,” said Duffy, who has been collecting art for more than 30 years, and built the Goodman Duffy art collection with his late partner Wally Goodman.

“By instilling strong participation from the extensive alumni, together with our formidable and respected faculty, I delight when students explore their curiosity in music and art. Simply put, if your curiosity compels you to reach out, NSA is here to be that rung.”

Duffy’s community involvement is extensive. He is a former board member of the “I Have a Dream Foundation,” served as chairman of the UNLV Gallery board of advisors, and has served on the boards of the Philharmonic as well as Nevada Ballet Theatre. He previously served on the board and executive committee of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, and was a board member of the Neon Museum and president of the Las Vegas Arts Museum.

A member emeritus of the foundation board for Opportunity Village, Duffy played a crucial role in developing the Opportunity Village Art and Enrichment Program and previously served as an appointed arts commissioner for the City of Las Vegas.

NSA, along with Duffy and his husband Luis, also has created a historical 1 October remembrance.

As for the future, “With the assistance of Nevada’s philanthropists, educators and administrators, I believe the Nevada School of the Arts will help students’ professional paths, create and foster opportunities, and boost their quality of life — that is; 'students' from 4 years old to 84 years old, because we are all basically students," Duffy said.

Nonprofit Company of the Year

BRIDGE COUNSELING ASSOCIATES

Founded locally in 1971, Bridge Counseling Associates is Southern Nevada’s oldest nonprofit individual and family counseling organization. Services include mental health evaluations and therapy, substance abuse and addiction counseling, in addition to child and adolescent therapy, couples and family therapy, prevention programs and veterans services.

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Bridge Counseling Associates

One of the nation’s first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, over the past several years the organization has also focused on developing and implementing new behavioral health solutions for chronic and unexpected community challenges, such as the 1 October tragedy.

“BCA was able to provide trauma therapists at nine Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department substations for each shift change immediately following the incident,” said David Robeck, the organization’s president and CEO since 2014. “Beginning Oct. 2 at 7 a.m., BCA began providing group and individual trauma therapy at no cost to anyone affected directly or indirectly by the shooting. In addition to working with the First Responders Support Team, BCA immediately identified and funded a $30,000 trauma therapy training program for 20 therapists.”

Following this, 18 BCA staff therapists participated in training sponsored by UMC and the Humanitarian Assistance Program that furthered their education in crisis response.

BCA also developed an online gaming prevention program for teenagers and young people, and also recently added several new Memorandums of Understanding with community agencies. This year, BCA added 12 new behavioral health clinicians for a 39 percent growth rate, which allowed the organization to increase the number of unduplicated clients seen on a monthly basis to nearly 1,000 individuals.

“BCA is in a unique position to grow and offer community behavioral health solutions to those in poverty, the homeless, and to otherwise psychosocially challenged residents,” Robeck said.

Philanthropic Business of the Year — Private

CREDIT ONE BANK

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Credit One Bank sets a high standard when it comes to elevating the community. With 2017 donations totaling $1 million and benefitting 22 nonprofits, employees volunteered nearly 700 hours while company executives served on the boards of 15 philanthropic Southern Nevada organizations.

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Credit One Bank

The company’s charitable efforts focus on three areas of community outreach: affordable housing/homelessness, employment services and financial education.

To those ends, the bank supports the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, The Shade Tree, Family Promise of Las Vegas, and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, and in 2017 gave more than $615,000 to assist their missions. Another $100,000 was donated to these organizations through the bank’s partnership with the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation. Following the 1 October tragedy, Credit One Bank also partnered with the Vegas Golden Knights by donating $20,000 to the Vegas Strong initiative to support first responders.

Since 2005, the bank has donated a total of $4 million to Community Capital Management, a qualified community fund that provides loans to low- to moderate-income individuals and families. Approximately $1 million has been used for these loans, with the remaining $3 million helping to build affordable apartments for seniors and low-income families.

In terms of employment services, the bank has donated $150,000 to organizations such as Opportunity Village and Dress for Success, and supports financial education through a partnership with Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, with $15,000 donated to help deliver innovative programing in financial literacy and mentoring. The bank also donates about $60,000 annually to UNLV and other educational facilities.

Looking ahead, Credit One Bank will continue to build strong relationships with Southern Nevada nonprofits, foster existing relationships and develop new ones, with the goal of donating $1.2 million this year.

Philanthropic Business of the Year — Public

WYNN RESORTS

With the core value of “Care about everyone and everything,” Wynn Resorts has invested more than $15 million in Southern Nevada. CEO Matt Maddox and senior leadership are committed to elevating the level of the company’s global community engagement to ensure that Wynn is a leader in the hospitality industry in terms of charitable giving.

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Wynn Resorts

Last year, the company supported more than 100 nonprofits in education, culture and the arts, veterans, diversity, food insecurity, leadership and environmental preservation. Employees contributed nearly 20,000 volunteer hours and those numbers are expected to increase this year.

Encore Beach Club partners with HELP of Southern Nevada’s Shannon West Homeless Youth Center on a monthly basis. Through this partnership, the nightlife team provides mentorship opportunities to assist the residents in achieving their education and employment goals, as well as hosts social events with live music, karaoke and games.

Wynn continues to maintain its longstanding partnership with Dean Petersen Elementary, which is located just east of the property and whose nearly 1,000 students all qualify for federal lunch assistance. Employees have contributed to the school more than 3,000 volunteer hours per year through the Adopt-A-Class program.

Wynn also recently announced that it would expand its partnership with the Shade Tree shelter and transitional housing agency, with plans to invest at least $1.5 million in financial support and donated labor and materials to renovate the facility, which focuses on homeless and abused women and children in crisis.

“When taking the difficult first step toward rebuilding their lives, thousands of women rely on the Shade Tree to take that step with them,” said Maurice Wooden, president of Wynn Las Vegas. “We hope that this effort will help the Shade Tree continue its mission of paving the road back to safety for those who turn to them in a time of need.”

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