Pardee plans pet project

The annual Project Playhouse fundraising event, sponsored by HomeAid Southern Nevada, is going to the dogs (and other beloved pets) as it announces its 2011 theme: Project Playhouse -- Pet Edition. HomeAid Southern Nevada is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to partnering service providers with the building industry.

And longtime local home builder Pardee Homes is once again involved by building three pet houses for the fundraising event.

"As supporters of HomeAid locally and nationally for many years, we're proud to again be a part of Project Playhouse and this exciting new theme," said Klif Andrews, Pardee's Southern Nevada division president and Southern Nevada chapter president of HomeAid. "This is a fun event with plenty of volunteer spirit generated in designing, building and finishing these highly crafted houses."

Pardee's 2011 Project Playhouse includes three pet houses each with a unique theme.

For example, Pardee's Green Dog doghouse design will feature many sustainable items including roof-mounted solar panels to generate power that will be utilized for lighting and automatic water and a feeding system.

The Green Dog team captain is Rob Keune, a superintendent for Pardee, where he has worked for nearly 12 years. As a certified green professional, as well as a certified graduate builder by the National Association of Home Builders, Keune's project was destined to reflect a green theme.

"Project Playhouse is an opportunity to work with our subcontractors away from a job site and be creative in all sorts of ways, including sustainability," Keune said. "It also fosters team building knowing our efforts are for a terrific cause."

Pardee's In The Doghouse Team is headed by superintendent Carlos Zuluaga, an 18-year employee, and features a firehouse theme, complete with a brass bell and hand-carved windows created by customer service representative Jim Rampa.

According to Zuluaga, the Project Playhouse event is a unique opportunity for his team to get involved in aspects of building including design that they don't normally do. And, it's also an opportunity to focus on special talents of employees and subcontractors.

Pardee superintendent Dennis Shavor, an eight-year employee of Pardee Homes is the team captain for the Lucky Dog House, which features whimsy and functionality and lots of surprises in a traditional dog house design.

According to Kathleen Dye, executive director, HomeAid Southern Nevada, nine pet houses are currently under construction for the annual event.

Other participants include KB Home, Fusion Sign & Design and Martin Harris Construction.

The pet houses will be on display May 4 through June 4 at the Children's Park at Town Square, located at 6611 Las Vegas Blvd., South.

Tickets for a chance to win one of the houses cost $5 each and will be sold at Project Playhouse Pet Shoppe from noon to 8 p.m. daily.

Donations will also be taken at six PitStop Chevron/Arco locations in Southern Nevada. A drawing for the houses is planned for June 4 at 4 p.m.

HomeAid is dedicated to partnering service providers with the building industry.

The organization is best known for securing Pardee and its subcontractors to oversee and contribute a $1.1 million renovation of St. Jude's Ranch for Children in Boulder City.

The overall mission of HomeAid is to build and maintain dignified housing to allow homeless families and individuals the opportunity to rebuild their lives. It has also organized industry support for the Women's Development Center, a nonprofit group committed to providing support services to families to attain long-term self-sufficiency and combat the cycle of poverty.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Pardee is one of the West's largest home builders. The company has built homes and planned communities for more than 40,000 families in Southern Nevada since 1952.

For additional information, visit pardeehomes.com. You can also follow the builder on Facebook at facebook.com/PardeeHomesLasVegas.